After the Flames
by gempire
Summary: Mike Newton tried to burn down the Cullen House after he discovered their secret, but the Cullens managed to flee, what happens after the flames... Not so good at summeries sorry. Set after BD
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: Twilight is the property of Stephenie Meyer**

**I'd like to dedicate this story to my new Beta Noble Korhedron, thank you kindly for helping me out :)**

**I would also like to dedicate it to my two main girls Minschen and Nikki, you rock! Thank you both for your continued support :)**

**I'd also like to dedicate it to LordXeenTheGreat and Rickmer. I hope this answers the questions you had about the character of Nikki Fey.**

**So without further ado I give you 'After the Flames'…**

**

* * *

**

Bella

We were all sat in the living room, Carlisle and Esme, Alice and Jasper, Rosalie and Emmett and my husband Edward and me when Alice suddenly sat up strait with a look of worry on her face.

"I have a feeling." She announced grandly in her bell-like voice. "That Essie's going to pay a visit."

Immediately I felt thrilled that my granddaughter was on her way. I always loved it when she came up here, she filled the house with happiness that you only got from children. It also helped that she'd inherited Jake's grin, that one that was open and warm and brought light like the sun.

"She's running from the forest." Edward said suddenly.

"So she didn't hitch a ride this time." I observed.

"Not this time." Edward said with a smile.

Two minuets later the back door burst open and Esther herself staggered in panting.

"Grandma." She called.

My stomach did a strange little flip as she called me this, to think I was this girl's grandmother? I only looked nineteen and she was eleven, but that's what happened when you became a vampire not long after giving birth to your only child. Then the panicked tones in her voice registered.

"What's wrong?" I asked as she came running up to me.

"It's Grandpa Charlie!" She exclaimed. "He's ill and they won't let me see him."

"No." I gasped, my hand flying to my mouth as I dreaded the worst.

"Will you take me?" She asked.

"Yes. Come on." I said, rising quickly to my feet and swinging her up onto my back.

"Err Bella." Alice began.

"Later." I dismissed, and I was rushing out of the house with Essie on my back as I ran the familiar trail to my old house.

I was a blur when I reached the house and I didn't stop as I went inside quickly. I swung Essie off my back as I shut the door. It still seemed strange entering this house as a guest, even after thirty odd years. A lot had happened in this house that set my life on a course that was way beyond the norm.

I could hear low voices in the living room and I led Essie swiftly into that little room.

What I saw when I entered made me reconsider the urgency. Charlie, my father, was bundled up in a blanket cocoon on the sofa with a box of tissues on a little side table and crumpled Kleenex scattered around the place. There was a bottle of cough medicine sitting in its sticky runoff and a bowl smelling heavily of disinfectant at his side.

"He's got the flu." I pointed out to Esther.

"But…they made it sound worse, like it was something serious." My granddaughter said, frowning.

"No." My daughter Renesmee said in admonishment. "What I said was, you'd swear he was dying the way he's going on. It's man flu Essie. They get it much worse than us." Her last tones were a little sarcastic.

"Hey!" Charlie grouched, his throat sounding roar.

"I guess that's what Alice was trying to tell me." I said slapping my forehead, if only I'd taken the time to listen.

"Hey Bells, is that you?" Charlie called in his weak crackly voice.

"Yeah Dad." I said, moving to his side and taking his outstretched hand.

Charlie didn't know I was a vampire, not in the strictest terms. He knew I was no longer human; that I was something other, but he hadn't wanted to know the full details so long as I was happy and well. He was just thankful that I didn't turn into a wolf like Jake.

"It's nice of you to come visit your old father." He said, coughing slightly as if to make me feel even guiltier.

"You know we have to be careful on our trips into town." I said. "Technically we don't even live here anymore. We're staying near for Essie."

"I know that." Charlie said bluntly. "It still be good to see you more often. Maybe you could come after dark."

"I'll see what I can do Dad." I promised, and in that instant I meant it. "But right now I really should get going. I need to let Edward know you're ok."

"Cause we wouldn't want Edward to worry." Charlie said in tones that would have been too quiet for a human to hear, so I ignored the comment

"I'll come back as soon as I can." I said, planting a kiss on his cheek, which didn't burn my throat as much as it used to. "Bye Dad. See you later Nessie."

"I'll be up Mom." My daughter promised.

"Then can I come with you?" Essie asked.

I looked at my daughter, not wanting to undermine her. She shrugged her shoulders.

"Sure. Aunt Alice was looking forward to playing dress up." I said, hoping this might change her mind.

"Good. I need a new haircut." She replied with her Jake-like grin.

"Come on then." I said, beaten by my own granddaughter.

She followed me outside, but no sooner were we walking down the drive than we were accosted by a balding man with a beer belly. He smelt of stale alcohol and it took me a moment to recognise him.

It was the leer that gave him away as he looked me up and down. It was Mike Newton.

"Hey there Bella, how are you baby?" He slurred.

Baby? I had never been his baby! We hadn't even had the type of relationship that would have justified him calling me baby. Of course there was a more pressing matter than that at hand.

"I'm not Bella." I said promptly. "I'm Ruth, Bella's granddaughter and this is my sister Martha." I said, pointing out Esther thinking it the best explanation since I looked too young to have a daughter as old as my granddaughter.

"Sister?" Mike prompted.

"Half sister." I corrected quickly, and I put an arm around Essie's shoulder as I said, "We have different fathers but that doesn't stop us being very close."

I thought Mike would buy it for a moment, but then he shook his finger at me.

"Nooo." He crooned. "I know it's you Bella. You can't hide anything from Mike you know. I been doing research." And he tapped the side of his nose.

"Research?" I demanded as I suddenly felt a strange feeling of foreboding in my gut.

Mike nodded his head.

"Turns out the Cullens was here before, all with the same names except Alice an Jasper. But if you know where to look they turn up all over the place. An' you wanna know what? They never age. But I guess you know a lot about that now wouldn't you, Bella. You chose a vampire over me?" The last part was added in a hurt whine.

"Ruthy, he's scaring me." Esther suddenly piped in as she drew herself into my side and I was proud of her quick thinking.

"Are you happy now you drunken buffoon, you've scared my sister." I hissed angrily. "Now go away or I'll phone the police."

"Yeah." Mike snorted and wandered away.

I gave a sigh of relief, but then I became aware of the warmth still held under my arm. I looked down at Esther with a frown.

"I think it might be best if you go home with your mother." I said firmly.

She looked at me as if she was about to pout.

"There's no discussion over this my girl. I need to talk to Alice and it'll help if you're not in the way."

"Ok Grandma." Essie said despondently before trudging up to the house.

I sighed once more before I headed for the woods that encroached on Charlie's property before I ran for home. Edward met me half way, but he didn't say anything as we ran together toward the house.

Alice gave a little sigh as we entered.

"It's just possible we might have trouble." She said.

"What do you mean?" I asked as Edward and I resumed our seats.

"Mike's planning something, but he hasn't decided yet." She answered.

"What could he do to us?" I scoffed.

"You had a confrontation with him today. He might start spreading the word around." Alice said pointedly.

"But who's going to believe him? They'll just think the town drunk is talking nonsense again. Everyone knows there are no such things as vampires." I reasoned.

"Yes, but when people start to get suspicious we have to move on. Just because he's the town drunk doesn't mean people won't take notice at some subconscious level and people will start to look a little closer at the weird Cullens."

I shrugged, I guess if the idea was there you might start to notice the odd thing or two. I did after all.

"So what shall we do?" I asked.

"I think we should pack our things and close up the house in case we need to make a quick getaway." Alice suggested.

I frowned at this suggestion, but it turned out to be pretty good advice in the end.

It was around one in the morning when Alice gasped and said that we needed to fetch buckets of water quickly and take them around to the front of the house while she phoned Renesmee. I had no idea what my daughter had to do with this but the use of the water became apparent as the tongues of flame began to lick up the front of the house while Mike danced around with a bottle of something or other in his hand as he sang a gleeful song about destroying the bloodsuckers.

We ignored him as we worked quickly to bring the fire under control and finally put it out. If we had been human we would have been exhausted, but we were ok other than being a little sooty. The house on the other hand was no longer white and the downstairs windows had cracked with the heat.

"Cars now." Alice said, coming past us quickly while mike fell over in the grass.

We headed to our various cars to make our escape. As we were going down the long drive we passed a small convoy of trucks and cars. I recognised Renesmee's car and Jake was driving while she sat in the passenger seat. She gave me a wave while smiling sadly and I waved back as we passed. The rest of the wolf pack were in the other cars and I guess they were there as an explanation of how they got the fire out.

And that was how we came to leave Forks and ended up in Denali with Tanya's coven while we decided where to go next…

**

* * *

**

Thank you for reading

**Please review**

**Gemma x**


	2. Chapter 1 Invisible

****

Disclaimer: Twilight is the property of Stephenie Meyer

**This chapter is dedicated to Noble, Minschen and Nikki**

**

* * *

******************

Nikki

Have you ever been invisible? I'm not talking Claude Rain, bandages around the head after a botched science experiment invisible here. I'm talking about true invisibility. You're perfectly solid, you cast a shadow and the light bounces off you just like everyone else, but nobody can see you. Or at least they act as if they can't.

I was invisible most my life until they came to town, the only people who had ever seen me. Then I found out there was more to this world than people thought. There are things out there no mortal should know.

So where should I begin? Where does a story really start? Does it start with when I was born? When my parents met? Hell, maybe I should start right back at the big bang! But there's no need to go overboard. I guess I should start with the first day they came to school…

It was a Wednesday in March; I remember it because I thought it was an odd day to start a new school on. I knew they were expected, in one of my many attempts to get noticed I'd volunteered in the school office, not to mention the extra credit came in handy. I'd seen their files; six new kids all joining at the same time. They were in some kind of mobile foster home or something. All I know is that they transferred here because the couple that had adopted them had relocated because the husband was a doctor and he was coming here to practise.

It was raining, which was marginally better than snowing, and I was trudging along the outer corridor after first period, not that I was worried about getting a tardy or anything, not even the teachers noticed me. I had my iPod playing in my ears and my skirts were flowing around my legs as I centred my backpack a little better. I was weighing up the pros and cons of cutting my next class, double history, when I felt a tap on my shoulder.

I gasped and spun around in surprise to find a short, pale girl with spiky black hair smiling at me.

"Hello, I'm Alice. I'm new and I think I'm a little lost." She said in a rush. "I just can't see where I'm supposed to be."

"I know. The map doesn't help." I said in sympathy. "So where are you supposed to be?"

"Right now? English, room 101. I know, but it's not like Big Brother or anything. At least I hope not." Alice said, sounding nervous.

"Unless your idea of hell is writing a thousand word essay on the folly of Romeo and Juliet then you're not gonna be tortured." I assured her. "Honestly they should change the room number."

"Certainly. Can you imagine what would happen if we were studying 1984 in that room? It would be mass panic." She observed and laughed all light and tinkling.

I found myself laughing also as I led her along the corridor toward room 101. At some point in the past someone had carved 'Your nightmares realised here' into the wood. Not many people noticed but Alice did and she laughed as she pointed it out.

"Glad someone here has a sense of humour." She said.

"That would be me." I admitted.

"Oh, defacing school property. What a rebel." She said and laughed again. "Oh well, time to face the music." She added solemnly before she tapped on the door and entered.

I turned from the door and headed back along the corridor. I decided that I was in no mood for History today, or any other class for that matter. I could cut out of school early, but that would mean going home and spending the day with my parents, that was out of the question. They drove me up the wall with their constant giving in to my every whim.

So I opted instead for going to my little hidey-hole with my laptop. I could learn more on-line than these morons could ever teach me anyway. They never noticed me long enough to give me a proper education or know what I was struggling with. I got our lesson goals at the start of the year and then I taught myself. I always scored well in tests so I guess I must have been learning something.

There was only one class that I enjoyed attending and it would have been hard for me to complete this class anywhere other than the classroom itself anyway. I packed away my things at the end of double History and made my way to the Art Studio.

I entered and took my usual seat as the other kids filed in. None of them looked at me but nobody tried to sit in my chair either. It was as if they could see me but chose to ignore me. I sighed and stowed my things behind the chair before I removed my thick coat.

I rolled up the sleeves of my sweater since it was always hot in the Art room and waited for the lesson to begin.

One of the new kids was in my class, he was tall and lean looking with longish curling blond hair and he was a pale as Alice had been. He seemed to hold himself a little stiffly as he entered the room and introduced himself to the teacher. He was very old fashioned in his polite manner and I felt my heart flutter. I always found manners endearing. I felt this world would be a better place if people were a little more polite to each other.

Miss Thornberry welcomed him and he came to sit near me at the back. Well this was new, people usually avoided me and there were two spare seats in this class. He came and sat in the seat next to mine and he glanced at me before turning to his work.

I frowned as the teacher told us to take out our brushes. There was a bowl of fruit set up on the table at the front of the class and she wanted us to paint a still life in the impressionist style. I started painting and entered that Zen like state that took over me when art was concerned. It was almost as if I had no control over myself.

"I'd say it represents the whole cycle of nature, how the fruit has the potential for life but also likely to rot away." Somebody said, snapping me out of my painting state.

"Pardon?" I said, blinking at the new kid.

"Miss Thornberry asked us to criticise each others paintings to see if we can get what the artist intended."

"Yeah, she always does that. But people don't usually look at my work." I replied.

"Why not?" He asked.

I shrugged.

"People never do." I said simply. "Shall I criticise your work now?" I asked.

He gestured for me to go right ahead.

I looked at the canvas and smiled.

"It's good." I said.

"You can be honest."

"Ok. Well, the fruit are a bit too realistic, but I like all these colours around. It's almost like emotions floating through the room. What they would look like if you could see them. It's like the fruit have auras, different personalities that we don't consider when we just chow down on them." I said as I considered the painting from different angles.

"Well I just thought grey would be a bad background colour and I thought I'd go a little Van Gough with the colours. But I'll keep your description in mind to tell Miss Thornberry if she asks." He said.

"Ok." I said, not really caring if he stole my answer since Miss Thornberry never acknowledged my existence anyway.

"So back to your work. Do you think everything eventually leads to decay?" He asked in what I considered to be psychotherapist tones.

"I guess I do. I don't think that's what I was going for. I don't tend to be in my head when I'm painting."

"I see." The new kid said, sounding analytical.

"And what have you painted Jasper?" Miss Thornberry said.

Jasper suddenly returned to his stiff posture from earlier.

"Fruit Miss Thornberry." He said.

"Yes. But what's your interpretation?" Miss Thornberry said, using her hands expressively as usual.

"Every living thing has a life-force, we should respect that." Jasper said, as if he was trying to use as little breath as possible.

"Interesting." Miss Thornberry said with a smile, then she walked away without even looking at me.

Jasper looked curious but he didn't comment.

I started clearing away my things since class was more or less over and I exited the class before the bell rang. Nobody noticed me leave and I headed toward the canteen in my own company as usual.

I was the first there and the Lunch Ladies served me without really seeing me. I found a table in the corner and sat down with my lunch and took out my latest book. I read as I ate and ignored the noise as the canteen filled up around me. Again nobody seemed to notice me but they didn't see an empty table either.

I glanced up to see Jasper enter the canteen. He smiled at me, and just as I was about to smile back I realised he was actually smiling past me. I glanced around to see the little dark haired Alice sat at the next table with brunette and a tall extremely beautiful blonde who were both as pale as Alice and Jasper. Well all three of the girls were beautiful and I was wondering why the boys hadn't started buzzing around them yet.

Alice got up as Jasper approached her and she placed a kiss on his cheek before they sat down.

Ok, so it was just a peck, and that could mean anything right? But there was just something about their whole body language that made me sure they were an item. I mean they barely touched yet they gave off an air of intimacy that was much more intense than any of the popular kids who were into over the top pubic displays of affection.

I found myself interested in them, which was unusual for me. I usually showed as much interest in people as they showed in me. However these new kids were fascinating, all six of them I conceded when another tall boy, this one with a strange shade of red hair, and a big burly boy with dark curly hair joined them. It was quite clear that they were three couples, which struck me as a little odd if they were all foster siblings, but who was I to judge?

It was interesting to watch how they all interacted with each other without actually interacting. It was like watching a group of people who had been together a really long time and knew how the others thought.

Then the big burly boy started teasing the brunette about something while he sat with his arm around the back of the blonde's chair. The blond girl rolled her eyes and it looked like she told him to behave. The dark haired boy stopped but he still looked mischievous.

"Emmett!" The red head snapped and Emmett held up his hands as if in surrender.

I wondered what he had been doing, but then they all looked at me suddenly and I pulled my book up in front of my face. I made sure I didn't look at them throughout the rest of lunch.

I skipped afternoon lessons, hiding out in my little bolthole for the remainder of the day. I had a copy of each teachers schedule for the year, so I made sure I kept to it without the need of attending the classes. I found it much more conducive to work in here on my own than out there on my own. Voluntary seclusion was much better than forced seclusion.

I drove the five miles to my house after school ended. The rain had turned to sleet, which most likely meant we'd have snow again tonight. I didn't care since I would soon be safe inside and wouldn't have to worry about going outside again until tomorrow.

After saying a brief hello to my mother I headed up to my room and settled down with my computer.

AngelWings2024 was on line…

**

* * *

**

Thank you for reading

**Please review**

**Gemma x**


	3. Chapter 2 Kodiak, Alaska

**Disclaimer: Twilight is the property of Stephenie Meyer**

**I would like to dedicate this chapter to my Beta Noble. I would also like to dedicate this to my two wonderful muses, Nikki and Minschen and also LordXeenTheGreat. **

**Reviews keep me writing *hint, hint***

* * *

**Bella**

There was a lot of planning that went into finding a new place to settle. There were all those little factors to be taken into consideration that humans didn't have to think about. We had to find somewhere that had a decent annual cloud cover that would allow us to be able to move around during the day. There had to be an adequate hunting range if not nearby then within driving distance so we could sustain ourselves. There also had to be a hospital or doctor's surgery for Carlisle to be able to work, and of course a High School.

This would be interesting; this would be the first time for me to try this out since becoming a vampire. What would it be like on the inside of the Cullens rather than observing them? Will I be able to pull off lying to my peers every day? Should I just blank them or should I try to make friends? How should I play the relationship between Edward and I in school? How could I go back to just referring to him as my boyfriend?

I left the worrying until later; I would deal with each problem as they arose.

In the end we all decided to move to Kodiak Island in Alaska. The Cullens had been there once before, but it was nearly a hundred years ago now so they didn't have to worry about being recognised.

Then there was all the paperwork and phoning around to organise things, which seemed to be Alice's thing. She just had a knack of coaxing people into doing what she wanted.

Edward led me away while Alice organised and told me we wouldn't be needed for the next few hours. We could have found somewhere to make love for hours on end, but neither of us was in the mood at this point in time. We hadn't even had a chance to say good-bye to our family and friends in Forks before we had to flee, and that was lying heavily on my mind.

"I promised Charlie I'd go visit him." I said forlornly.

"You can ring him tomorrow to explain." Edward said softly and kissed me on the forehead.

"Damn Mike Newton, damn his drunken ass all the way to hell!" I growled, feeling the urge to want to kill a human for the first time in my vampire life.

Edward embraced me and pressed his lips to my forehead.

"I'm sure he'll get his comeuppance." He said softly.

"What good is that when we can't see our daughter or granddaughter?" I demanded. "Why did it have to be him?"

"You'll see Nessie again." Edward assured me.

"I know." I replied.

"And Essie too."

"But I want to watch her grow." I stated.

"It's too dangerous for us to return." Edward said solemnly. "The best thing we can do for Esther right now is to keep our distance."

"I wish it wasn't." I said vehemently.

"Me too." Edward said as he hugged me tightly.

We spent the rest of the night comforting each other over the loss of our daughter and granddaughter. It was just kissing and caressing, but it was still nice. Sometimes that was all you wanted. All you needed…

The next day we set out for Kodiak Island in our various cars and a removal van full of things that were not ours, but they would be good for the show when we moved into our new house.

We had to travel through the City of Kodiak itself to reach our house, secluded by the hills and trees that dominated everything here. The house was, well, it was a dump but Edward assured me that it would look liveable in no time at all with all us vampires on hand to help.

We worked through the next few days until the house was inhabitable. It was hidden in the trees so we could work through the day and night without arousing suspicion of neighbours. It was up to standard and we were able to move our furniture in before we had to start school.

Edward and I spent another memorable night together in our new room, but we were up and dressed in time for school the next morning. I had a brief moment of panic when I had to remove my ring, well I hadn't removed it since the day he placed it on finger and I didn't want to do so now. However, I was pretending to be sixteen so it would look strange if I wore a wedding ring, although to be honest I didn't think anyone would look that closely at us.

I settled instead for wearing it on my right hand, at least that way I was still wearing it and I had my cover story that it was an heirloom. Well I was supposed to be an orphan so it could work.

We dressed in warm looking clothing, although we didn't really need it, but this was Alaska after all. I had all the briefs of what to do and how to act but really, it was only going back to high school. How hard could it be?

After we got our schedules I made my way to my homeroom to get signed in for the day. I took a deep breath of air outside and felt only a little burn before I knocked on the door and entered. As I'd expected I got a lot of looks. Admiring ones from the boys, a little jealousy from the girls. Mostly they turned away from me and whispered amongst themselves as they wondered who I was.

I would have preferred to have one of the others with me, just for this first meeting, but I think I handled it well. I took their advice and headed for an empty table and allow the humans to come to me. We could be quite intimidating without even meaning to.

Now that I was sitting down and safe within the class I took an experimental breath, the scent hit me, but it wasn't as bad as I'd expected. I could handle this, it would be no problem.

The teacher, Mr Corrigan, ran through the list and I had to remember that my name was at the top of the list now since I was going with the surname of Adams. It was a change from being near the bottom with Swan. I was still going by Bella since the others assured me that not many people would make the link, it was only because Mike was so obsessed that he did.

That made it a little easier to answer to my name and since Alice had just entered me as Bella rather than Isabella I didn't have to correct the teacher. Homeroom ended and it was time for my first lesson. I made my way to English ready to learn, again. I had no idea if I'd have to 'learn' things I already knew or if the curriculum had changed that much in the last thirty years that I'd be completely lost.

Turned out that English hadn't changed significantly and I remembered everything about 'Sense and Sensibility' from the countless times I'd read it, so I could answer the teacher's questions quite easily. Although I tried not to put myself forward, it was no use looking like too much of a teachers pet.

The morning passed by quickly and I was surprised how easily it was to fall back into the routine of school. It wasn't much different from when I was human, other than the fact that I had to ignore the burn in my throat and remember I had to watch my strength.

I was the first to arrive in the canteen and I went and I bought some food, although I wasn't sure what. I found a table at the back of the canteen since it seemed to be empty for the moment apart from one girl who was sitting by herself and reading. I passed her and sat down.

Rose and Alice soon joined me and Alice looked a little worried.

"What's wrong?" I asked in a low quick voice.

"My powers a little off today." She said. "I haven't been able to see where I'm going all morning."

"Alice had to use her map." Rose said with a laugh.

"It's not funny. Have you seen that map, it's misleading. I had to ask for directions!" Alice said with a frown as if it was the most despicable thing in the world.

"Well it is a big school." I said kindly.

"But I always know where I am. I don't like being lost."

"Maybe there's a half blood here." I suggested.

"I think we'd be able to smell her." Rose pointed out. "They are rather…distinctive."

I nodded, it was true.

"Jasper." Alice said happily and I turned to see him smile at us.

Alice jumped to her feet and kissed him on the cheek when he reached us. They sat down and Jasper looked a little worried since Alice was obviously craving comfort. She didn't expand though; she smiled now and started talking about her classes this morning. We all told each other what we got up to and soon Edward and Emmett joined us too.

Emmett was grinning at Alice when he sat down next to Rose and it was clear that he was going to tease her. Alice glared at him in warning, she was clearly in no mood to be teased but Em never took things like that into consideration.

"I heard you got yourself lost this morning." He said.

"My power is a little haywire today." Alice said grouchily.

"Awww, can't navigate without your extra sight? That's bad." Em teased.

"Cut it out." Rose hissed and Em sat back but he was still grinning.

"Emmett!" Edward snapped. "Let it rest."

Em held his hands up in mock surrender but I knew he'd pick this up later. He'd wait until we were home and then he would start, Alice should get in something pre-emptive.

"Besides, that girl is watching us." Rose said quickly and we all looked up to see the girl watching us over the top of her book.

Her face disappeared behind the book and she must have stayed hidden for the rest of lunch. At least she didn't seem to look at us again when I looked to check.

I felt a little guilty at the end of lunch when I threw away my food, but I could hardly eat it without messy consequences later and we needed to keep up appearances. I threw away the food and decided that I'd buy less tomorrow so that I wouldn't feel so bad.

I gave Edward a quick kiss before we made our way to our afternoon lessons.

By home time Alice was very disgruntled by her lack of vision, but as we drove home she suddenly brightened up.

"I can see!" She said excitedly, "We're going hunting tonight and Emmett is going to eat mountain goat because he can't track down a bear."

I laughed.

"Why can't he track a bear?" I asked.

"Because I'll get to it first. That'll teach him for teasing me when I'm feeling down."

"You show him." I encouraged.

"He's going to push a tree over. I'd better warn Rose to stand out of the way." Alice observed.

"I think you'd better. Last time she had bits of wood in her hair and we never heard the end of it." I said darkly.

Alice giggled and she was definitely in a better mood by the time we reached the house. She jumped out of the car and danced over to the door as I finished parking up.

Edward pulled in with Emmett as I was crossing to the door and I was in Edward's arms as he kissed me ferociously. I kissed him back with my arms wrapped around his neck.

"I've been waiting to do that all day." He said when he pulled away slightly. "How was your first day of school?"

"Good. It was school." I said with a shrug.

"So no difference to when you were human?" He asked.

"It was different that I already knew what the teachers were teaching me but other than that no." I said.

"Did anyone try to speak to you?" He asked.

"No, but a few of them were talking about talking to me but they were too shy."

"That's usually the case." Edward said, "They find us too good looking or too scary looking to approach."

"Really?" I asked. "So is there anyone I should be worried about?"

Edward looked thoughtful for a moment, and then he smiled his crooked smile, "Of course not." He said before kissing me again.

"Get a room." Emmett said joyfully as he passed us.

"That sounds like a good idea." Edward said against my lips.

"Oh no. There's a hunting trip tonight. I think we really need to go." I said with a smile.

"Are you hungry already?" Edward asked with a frown.

"We really need to go." I said and winked at him.

Edward frowned and I concentrated to push my shield away to show him what Alice had said. He laughed and took my hand.

"I think we should go hunting." He declared and led me inside.

We went to change into clothes more appropriate for hunting then went to join our family down in the living room. Carlisle smiled at us when we entered.

"I see you wish to join our hunting trip too." He said.

"Better safe than sorry." I remarked.

"Of course." Carlisle said with a nod of his head. "Once Emmett and Rose join us we can leave for the hunt."

We did as Carlisle suggested and as soon as Rose and Emmett joined us we headed out into the backyard. We were going on foot, heading north through the trees. We stayed together until we reached the north coast and jumped into the sea. We had to cross to Afognak Island where we would do our hunting. It was a good hunting range for humans so it should do for us, and like Alice said, there were bears.

We split up once we reached Afognak and Edward and I decided to take it a little easy this time, hunting a herd of sitka deer since we were only here to watch Emmett get his comeuppance for winding up Alice today anyway. I suppose the lesson here was never wind up a psychic who can see the future and would know exactly how she will get you back, or at least what would have the most satisfying outcome.

Three deer each were enough to sustain us this time since we had done a big hunt before we left Denali. We made our way back to the point on the coast where we'd all agreed to meet up after we finished hunting.

Edward and I were the first to arrive so we found a safe place among the trees to sit and we watched the snow descend as we waited. It wasn't long before Emmett and Rose joined us. Emmett was pouting while Rose was looking a little annoyed.

"What happened?" Edward asked before I could.

"Emmett had to settle for a mountain goat and he took it out on a tree." Rose said, "Again."

Emmett rolled his eyes.

"I told you about this the last time." She scolded.

"Sorry Rose, but Alice…"

"Don't you 'but Alice' me. You're the one who hit the tree. It was you who didn't take into account where it would land." Rose continued angrily.

"Rose. I'm sorry." Emmett said and put his arms around her waist.

Rose glared at him for a moment, then she smiled, "Well you can just make it up to me later." She said in a low suggestive voice.

"You know I will." Emmett replied and then they kissed passionately.

Edward and I exchanged a look, this was typical Em and Rose.

Alice and Jasper returned at that point and Alice seemed a little smug.

"Did you catch a bear?" She teased.

"No." Emmett said, pulling away from Rose for a second. "But it was no big deal. I'll get one next time."

Alice grinned and Emmett pouted slightly.

"You saw?" He asked.

"Yes. Never doubt my powers again." She said as she leaned into Jasper's side. "I could have warned you or told you the best place to try for one, but you decided to tease me when my powers weren't working."

"Ok. I won't tease you again." Emmett said sullenly.

"I know you won't." Alice said with certainty.

At this point Esme and Carlisle returned. Now that we were all here we could return home. We swam the sea again to reach Kodiak. We surged out of the water and headed back quickly across land so that our wet clothes wouldn't freeze in the cold air. Not that it would have bothered us temperature-wise, but they were more likely to fall apart with air-friction if they were brittle.

When we reached the house we all retired for the night. We had a little homework, which we completed quickly since we had better things we could be doing. Much better things.

As soon as I put down my pen Edward was pulling me to him and we were kissing as our hands worked to remove each other's clothing. Then his silky smooth hand was running over my body and shooting pleasure all through me as we fell to the bed, wrapped around each other as we gave into the passion that was always continued during the day.

It was hard to tear myself away from Edward in the morning but we had to go to school. With great difficulty we rose and a dressed for the weather. It was cold and over cast but it wouldn't rain or snow today, Alice was sure of it.

As I was heading to my homeroom I passed the girl who had been watching us in the canteen yesterday at lunch. I smiled at her but she appeared to be wrapped up in her own world. I shrugged and carried on walking, she obviously had other things on her mind.

I entered my homeroom and sat down. My head felt strange. Could your brain feel naked? That's the only way I could explain it. It made me feel a little disorientated, which I rarely felt these days. I thought I could understand what Alice meant when she talked of Renesmee giving her a headache at times. That's what it felt like, a headache.

It made me a little moody but I tried to stay positive and answered brightly when Mr Corrigan called my name.

The strange feeling didn't leave me throughout the morning and I was starting to feel agitated by lunch. I made my way to the canteen feeling a little angry with myself that I could allow myself to become so agitated. Although I felt worried all over again when I saw Alice waiting outside the canteen doors looking as worried as I felt.

"We need to have a family meeting." She said quickly. "Come on. The other's are waiting for us."

Without a word we headed outside and followed the scents of the others into the little stand of trees that bordered the school. Edward looked annoyed and Jasper looked agitated. As soon as Alice and I reached the four of them Jasper jumped forward and took Alice in his arms as if he hadn't seen her in a long while.

"What's going on?" I asked.

"Our powers have stopped working." Edward said softly.

"What do you mean?"

"I can't read any mind at all, the silence is strange after having those voices for such a long time."

"I haven't felt the emotions of others all day. I feel lost. Disconnected. As if I'm no longer of this world." Jasper stated, his Southern accent more pronounced than usual.

"Shhh Jazz, it's ok." Alice soothed. "I can't see anything either." She added. "I try to look into the future but I can't. There's something blocking me. I mean deliberately blocking me. This is not like when I try to look at the Quileute or the half bloods. It's as if when I try to look into the future something knows that I'm doing it, and then moves in to block me with their own power."

"Like a shield?" I asked.

Alice shrugged.

"What about you?" Rose asked. "Is your power working?"

"Well I haven't got a good way to test it if Edward can't read minds, but I guess my brain has been feeling a little naked today." I conceded.

"Your brain feels naked?" Rosalie asked with humour clear in her voice.

"That's the only way I can describe it." I said. "I can usually feel my shield like a fine skin around my mind. I can't now. It's not there."

"Oh." Rose said with a frown. "Well this is strange. What kind of shield would stop another shield from working?"

"Maybe it's some form of attack. You render the powers of others useless and then you are free to destroy them." Edward suggested.

"Do you think it could be the Volturi?" I asked.

"No." Jasper said with a shake of his head. "We ain't been here long enough for them to know we're here. They have no quarrel with us and if it were them we'd all be dead by now if that was their intention."

"They can't destroy us in open conflict, but that doesn't stop them sending assassins." Edward said darkly.

"You know Aro's mind better than any of us, but I'm sure if he intended us dead in this manner we wouldn't have prior warning." Jasper stated.

"Maybe it's someone we don't know." Emmett said. "Maybe this is some other vamp's territory and they're worried we're gonna start cutting a swathe through their game since there's so many of us."

"But Carlisle made sure nobody held territory here." I pointed out.

"Not all vampires announce their hunting grounds on line." Edward said. "Some of them don't even own a house never mind access to the internet. But I don't think it's another vampire, we would have sensed him. Even if he could block our powers he couldn't block our sense of smell."

"Alec can." I pointed out.

"But Alec blocks out your entire sense of smell, not just your ability to pick up out his scent." Edward pointed out.

"I suppose." I said, "Although that doesn't really help us. We're still nowhere closer to working this out."

"Perhaps Carlisle will know more." Rosalie suggested.

"But he's in work at the moment and it wouldn't do for us all to cut school on our second day." Alice said glumly.

"Hold on." I said as something occurred to me. "Alice, yesterday you said your vision wasn't working, but then as soon as we were heading home it was."

"Yes." Alice said, nodding her head.

"It was once we were out of the vicinity of the school." I stated.

"Oh. Could that be possible?" Alice asked.

"What?" Emmett asked.

"What if it's not someone but somewhere?" I said and I received a couple of dubious looks. "We don't know everything there is to know in this world. What if something happened in this spot a long time ago that renders extra abilities useless?"

"I don't know." Rose said with a frown. "That sounds a bit far-fetched."

"More far-fetched than mind reading? More far-fetched than seeing the future? More far-fetched than a vampire fathering a baby with a human girl?" I demanded. "If it wasn't for Renesmee you'd be saying the same thing about the half bloods."

Rose shrugged.

"So what if it is the place? How does that help us?"

"At least we know. It won't be so disorientating." I pointed out. "And least we know it's not somebody out to get us."

"It's reassuring." Edward agreed and he kissed me on the forehead.

"Well I hope that's what it is." Rose said offhand, "Or we might have a real problem here."

"One good thing about it, it seems to affect all our powers indiscriminately, so if the Volturi do show up they'll be in the same boat as us." I said brightly.

"Not that they'd try anything since that business with Renesmee. Aro doesn't want a war." Edward observed.

"He'll wait for us to put a foot wrong so he'll have a justifiable excuse to come after us." Jasper concluded.

"Then he'll be waiting forever." Alice said and gave her tinkling laugh.

"Well there's not much more we can discuss about this now." Rose said pointedly. "Shall we continue this when we get home?"

We all agreed, since there wasn't much more we could add to the discussion, but Carlisle and Esme might be able to add a bit more to our theories. We returned to the school and lunch had hardly gone by so we went into the canteen for appearance sake.

I went through the rest of the afternoon with that odd naked feeling in my brain. By the time I climbed into the car with Alice I was hoping that my theory that it was the school responsible was true. I had never felt this vulnerable, not even when I was human.

Alice drove today since we had agreed to take it in turns. We were two miles from the school when I suddenly felt a reassuring weight on my mind.

"Is your vision back?" I asked.

Alice glanced at me then her eyes went blank for a moment before she smiled.

"Yes it's back." She said happily.

"Then it must be the school." I said.

"Possibly. We'll have to test it a few more days to be certain."

I nodded my head since I really wasn't sure how these things went.

We spent the rest of the ride home in silence while I thought the whole thing through. But all I came back to was the school. It was only at the school that we were having problems. In the end I concluded that it would be better to discuss this with Carlisle and Esme since they'd probably have a better understanding of this, especially Carlisle.

Carlisle was still at work when we arrived home, but we filled Esme in quickly on what had occurred today. She seemed to come to all the conclusions that we had, although she did suggest that perhaps there was a human at the school with powers who didn't realise. This was a valid theory, but could a human really be that powerful against our kind?

"You were." Edward pointed out when I voiced this opinion.

"But I just blocked mental attacks. I didn't disable the powers of everyone else." I pointed out. "That's something else."

"This requires some investigation." Esme concluded.

We fell silent after this comment; there was little more for us to say until Carlisle returned. We waited in the room, the TV was on, but it was only for show. We were all too occupied in our own thoughts to actually take notice of it.

Carlisle returned around eight and he listened intently while we all told him our different theories. Then he sat for a while thinking them over. In the end he dismissed any involvement of the Volturi. He also dismissed the idea that another vampire had territory here, the death and disappearance rate were below average for a city this size and it wouldn't make sense for the vampire to live here and hunt elsewhere. Besides, in the north it was only us vegetarians who held territory, the carnivores tended to be nomadic.

He said that my theory was plausible for he had heard other vampires speak of places that enhanced or diminished their powers. Although from what he had learned it usually had a more immediate effect. We should have felt it yesterday as soon as we were near the school.

Esme's theory of a human responsible seemed to intrigue Carlisle the most. He thought it was indeed possible and if there was such a human then we should do everything in our power to stop him from coming to the attention of the Volturi, for if the human was this powerful now imagine what they would be with the venom spread inside them?

That was a scary thought, especially if that person was then employed by the Volturi as a member of the guard. We would never be able to stand against them again.

"Perhaps we should phone Eleazar and ask his opinion." Carlisle suggested. "He is after all an expert in such matters."

We all agreed that this was a good idea, but as Carlisle reached for the phone Edward hissed and winced slightly.

"Bella, are you blocking everyone in the room?" He asked.

"No." I said with a frown. "I'm not blocking." Then I realised that my mind felt suddenly naked. "I couldn't if I wanted to."

"Oh no!" Edward said with dread. "Alice? Jazz?"

Alice shook her head and Jazz let out a growl of annoyance.

"I guess we can throw my theory away." I said with a snort.

"Your powers have stopped working?" Carlisle asked.

All four of us nodded.

"Then we must assume that it is a person and they are near."

"But no human would be out this weather." Emmett pointed out. "At least not up around here any way."

"Then we assume it is a vampire." Carlisle said gravely. "We must search our territory. How far from the school were you when your powers returned?"

"Two miles." Alice and I said with certainty.

"Then we can assume the person is within a two mile radius. We are to apprehend not kill this person if it can be avoided." Carlisle said gravely and we nodded.

With this brief we set out to investigate the woods surrounding the house. We set out in different directions to cover more ground with the intention of coming back along a different path to see if we crossed a scent.

I only picked up the scents of animals and our scents; there was nothing else out here. At least where I was searching there were no traces of a stranger. I reached the two-mile limit and I could still feel that my shield was down so I took it to mean that the person was in this vicinity. I moved thirty feet to my left before I headed back in.

As I approached the house I began to feel worse. I knew then that I was approaching the source. I prepared myself for a fight with another vampire even though I hadn't smelt one. I hadn't smelled anything; so imagine my surprise when I came across what appeared to be a yeti turning from our window…

**

* * *

**

Thank you for reading

**Please review**

**Gemma x**


	4. Chapter 3 Dictaphone

**Disclaimer: Twilight is the property of Stephenie Meyer**

**This chapter is dedicated to Noble, Minschen, Nikki and LordXeenTheGreat**

* * *

**Nikki**

Thursday seemed to fly by. I actually attended lessons for once, although I remained as invisible as ever. I went through with the lessons regardless, mostly because I was curious to see if I shared any other class with one of the new kids.

The tall blonde, Rosalie, shared my English class. She kept looking at me as if I'd caused her some personal offence. I couldn't understand it; most people didn't notice me never mind form enough of an opinion to not like me. I matched her look a few times before I became bored with the staring contest and turned my attention back to the teacher.

He was droning on at length and it was making me feel sleepy, so I reached into my pocket and pushed record on my little Dictaphone, I could listen to it later and edit out the boring bits. I placed my head on the table and ignored the voice of the teacher, retreating instead to my happy place where everyone knew me and wanted to know me.

It was the bell that woke me and I packed my books into my bag and rushed out for lunch. I had packed my own lunch today, hot soup in a thermos and a crusty bread roll. Since it was dry I decided to eat outside instead. So it was cold and over cast, but I always dressed up warm. Well you had to in Alaska.

So call me a kid, but I'd built what could be considered a den in the trees that bordered the school. It got quite a lot of cover so the old cushions and bit of old rug rarely got wet, no matter what the weather.

I sat down and poured some of the soup into the cup of the thermos before I picked up my book and began to read it. The soup was still steaming and I sipped it as I read. Lunch passed peacefully and I got through a few chapters of my book. It was only because the cold was starting to set in that I decided to return to the school and I attended my afternoon lessons too.

I felt a little good by home time that I'd actually managed to attend all my classes in school today. It was the first time I'd done this without being overly angry that I got ignored. I was starting to realise the benefit of it. How many other kids could just come and go to lessons as they pleased?

I suppose that's something to consider in the future when I'm in another one of my 'invisible me' phases.

Actually that sounded good and I started composing it into my Blog for this evening. I pulled up onto my drive and grabbed my things off the passenger seat as I made my way into the house. I went through the usual greeting process with my parents before I escaped to the sanctity of my room with my snacks and soda in hand.

I set up my laptop and sat down in front of it as I opened the bag of nachos and ate a few while I waited for the computer to come to life. I decided that since I'd actually attended lessons today I should probably attempt to do my homework. With this in mind I only logged on to Twitter to see what was going on in the world, or at least what my followers thought as relevant. I tweeted a quick 'hello' to the on-line world before I pulled out the Dictaphone from my pocket. I linked it up to the USB port so that I could transfer the file and store it on my laptop so I could free up the memory for I decided to use it tomorrow.

I clicked on the Dictaphone icon and I noticed the file was much larger than I thought. In fact it took up the whole memory. Damn, I must have left it on record again. I scowled slightly as I transferred the file to my computer memory and cleared the Dictaphone. This wasn't the first time I'd done this.

But then I smiled as I considered all that untapped sound I had access to again. I liked playing about with sounds; they were good for adding sound effects to my on-line cartoon that I posted up on YouTube once a month.

So I unhooked my Dictaphone then went into the sound file. I found the point at which the English lesson ended and separated it to save it to listen to later.

I turned my attention to my unintentional recording. As I listened, skipping here and there, I came to the conclusion that I didn't have much to work with, it was mainly nothing much. So I started playing around with the speed, I tried speeding it up which gave me a few moments of giggles when people were talking and they sounded like chipmunks.

Then I went back to the start and slowed it down.

"Where's Bella and Alice?" I heard the female voice issue from my speakers and I nearly spilled my soda in shock, this had been a hitherto empty bit of soundtrack.

"Alice is waiting for Bella to arrive." A boy replied. "I can't hear you so you'll have to say it aloud."

"I don't want to worry Jazz." The girl replied.

"The only worry I'm feeling at the moment is my own." Another guy replied and I thought I recognised the voice as belonging to Jasper from art, although he sounded very Southern now.

"That's why I don't want to add to it." The girl replied. "Anyway, here they are."

I frowned and flipped the speed to normal for a few seconds and there was definitely no sound recorded other than the rustle of my book page and the sound of the wind in the trees. I flipped the speed back to slow-mo and the voices began again…

"Shhh Jazz, it's ok." A voice that could belong to none other than the little Alice girl came like a soothing sigh to greet me this time. "I can't see anything either. I try to look into the future but I can't. There's something blocking me. I mean deliberately blocking me. This is not like when I try to look at the Quileute or the half bloods. It's as if when I try to look into the future something knows that I'm doing it, and then moves in to block me with their own power."

Look at the future? What the hell!

"Like a shield?" Another girl asked and I assumed that this was the Bella the first girl had referred to. There was nothing dismissive about her tone; it was as if she believed that Alice really could see into the future.

"What about you? Is your power working?" The first girl asked while I Googled Quileute, but all I came up with was information about a Native American tribe from Washington State and nothing to do with seeing the future.

"Well I haven't got a good way to test it if Edward can't read minds, but I guess my brain has been feeling a little naked today." 'Bella' said in conciliatory tones.

Mind reading! I felt flabbergasted, more so because they were talking as if it was possible.

"Your brain feels naked?" The first girl who I decided was probably Rosalie from English since the others were clearly all the new kids.

Feeling a little like I was being wound up, like this was some kind of hidden camera thing, I turned the file to normal speed again. There was nothing but the sound of me pouring out some more soup. I flipped it back to slow-mo and there they were again.

"Do you think it could be the Volturi?" Bella asked.

"No." Jasper said in firm tones. "We ain't been here long enough for them to know we're here. They have no quarrel with us and if it were them we'd all be dead by now if that was their intention."

"They can't destroy us in open conflict, but that doesn't stop them sending assassins." The other boy who I assumed was Edward said darkly.

It made me wonder who or what a Volturi was.

"You know Aro's mind better than any of us, but I'm sure if he intended us dead in this manner we wouldn't have prior warning." Jasper stated.

"Maybe it's someone we don't know." A new voice cut in, and I guessed it was the sixth member of their group, Emmett. "Maybe this is some other vamp's territory and they're worried we're gonna start cutting a swathe through their game since there's so many of us."

"But Carlisle made sure nobody held territory here." Bella pointed out.

"Not all vampires announce their hunting grounds on-line." Edward replied.

Oh my god! Vampires? This had to be some hidden camera thing.

"But Alec blocks out your entire sense of smell, not just your ability to pick up out his scent." Edward continued and I realised I'd missed a few things.

"I suppose. Although that doesn't really help us. We're still nowhere closer to working this out." Bella replied.

This couldn't be right. I had to be sure.

I turned the file to normal speed again and all I got was silence. I turned it back to slow-mo and the voices were still going strong.

"That sounds a bit far-fetched." Rosalie said in response to whatever had gone before.

"More far-fetched than mind reading? More far-fetched than seeing the future? More far-fetched than a vampire fathering a baby with a human girl? If it wasn't for Renesmee you'd be saying the same thing about the half bloods." I didn't know who or what a Renesmee was, but it seemed to be a valid argument that the Bella girl made.

"So what if it is the place? How does that help us?" Rosalie countered.

This was really weird and I turned the file to normal speed again. There was nothing. Nothing. Just the sound of the wind through the trees and the distant noise of traffic. I turned it to slow-mo once more and the voices returned.

"He'll wait for us to put a foot wrong so he'll have a justifiable excuse to come after us." Jasper said in what sounded like concluding tones.

"Then he'll be waiting forever." Alice said and gave a tinkling laugh.

"Well there's not much more we can discuss about this now." Rosalie said in a pointed manner. "Shall we continue this when we get home?"

The others agreed and then there was nothing. They had gone.

I spent some time staring at my computer screen as the slowed down sounds surrounded me. However it yielded nothing more.

Before I did anything else I put the file back to the start and listened through it again. I just had to be sure I'd heard correctly. I had.

I don't know why but I was already on Twitter so I Tweeted: _**OMG! The Joneses are vampires! What can I do? **_

I left it at that, unsure what to do now. If I posted more than that people would start to think that AngelWings2024 was going a little crazy. Actually I wasn't sure if maybe I was going crazy myself. Well I suppose there was one way to find out.

After a constructive half hour on line I had my plan in hand. They had forecast snow and freezing temperatures, so I dressed in a few layers of sweater before pulling on my warm, thick snow coat with the furry hood. It felt a bit stifling inside but I knew I'd be thankful for it later.

I grabbed a torch, a compass and the map I'd printed off that I'd stowed safely inside a polly-pocket. I gathered a few things into a backpack just in case I got a little lost and had to camp out for the night. Oh, and I took the little tent with me along with a thermal sleeping bag. I wouldn't get caught out if I…got caught out.

I pulled on my boots that were waterproof on the outside and warm on the inside and my gloves just before I left the house. My parents were already in bed and they didn't here me leave. I was glad because I had no excuse to be leaving the house at this time of the night.

With everything I needed I drove to the outskirts of town, the snow was already beginning to fall, but you couldn't call yourself a true Alaskan if you couldn't handle a little snow. The turnoff to their place was a little beyond the outskirts of town, it was very secluded considering we were on an island.

I parked in the least conspicuous place before I left my car. I hauled all my gear onto my back and headed into the woods. I had the route marked out in my head, but I still checked the map now and again just to make sure. Within half an hour I came upon the house.

So that I could make the least amount of noise in order to approach it, I removed all my gear and propped it against a tree, praying

The lights were all on so I approached the window carefully, but when I peered in there was nobody home, despite the fact the TV was on. I sighed, feeling disgruntled that my investigation had led to nothing.

I turned around and walked right into the brunette who gave a sudden gasp before her hands clamped around my arms. I was in shock, but I still noted the fact that she was only wearing jeans and a light long-sleeved t-shirt. She should have hypothermia or frost bite, but the cold didn't bother her. Me, I could still appreciate the cold even through all these layers.

"You do know you're trespassing?" She said.

"You call the cops and I'll tell them you're vampires." I said without thinking.

"I really wish you hadn't said that." She said, looking sad. "I'm going to have to ask you to come inside."

"What if I won't go?" I demanded.

"Then I'll have to insist." She said taking hold of my arm.

My coat was thick and I had all them layers of sweater underneath, but I could still feel the pressure of her grip. I was in no doubt that if she wanted to tighten that grip she could and things such as my flesh and bones would be nothing more than play-dough to her.

"Then I guess I have no choice." I said through my teeth, which were chattering a little. I hadn't realised I'd gotten so cold just standing here.

"Look, we won't hurt you." The girl promised. "But we need to make sure we can trust you not to say anything."

"I won't say anything. I promise." I said, crossing my heart. "So you can just let me go and the others will never have to know."

The girl frowned for a moment, but then she shook her head.

"It's not up to me." She said, "We decide as a family."

She motioned for me to start walking and since she still had a hold of my arm I had no choice but to obey as she led me around the house to the front door.

"I see you caught our spy." The big burly Emmett said with a guffaw.

"Yeah. Go let the others know that I'm taking her into the house and that she knows." The girl, who I now realised must be Bella, said lightly.

"Oh." Emmett said, giving me a sad look. "That's too bad." He added before he bounded into the trees faster than anyone had a right to move.

"Come on." Bella said, urging me onward, although I was now more than hesitant after Emmett's reaction. "We won't hurt you, Em just likes to tease people."

"Well he could pick a better time." I pointed out.

"So he says the wrong thing now and then, but he's harmless really."

"Unless he happens to be hungry?" I demanded as we entered the nicely decorated house that still smelt of fresh paint.

"We don't feed off humans." She said lightly. "Even ones who trespass on our property." She added with a laugh.

I gave her a look and she shrugged.

"Can I take your coat?" She asked, holding out her hand as if I'd just stopped by for a visit.

I decided that it was probably better that I obeyed for now since I had been breaking the law even if they were vampires. If it came to the police I had less of a leg to stand on. Besides, they weren't exactly gonna believe me about the vampires. They probably would just ignore me anyway.

I shrugged off my coat and handed over my gloves and my hat too, although I kept my scarf and I retied it around my neck when Bella took my coat away. She caught me adjusting the scarf and she giggled.

"Honestly we won't eat you." She said. "And if we were going to feed from you that scarf wouldn't do any good."

"Wow. Emmett wasn't kidding." The blonde, Rosalie, stated as she entered the house. "I thought he was making it up."

"No." Bella said with a shake of her head. "Why don't you sit down? The others will be here shortly." She added to me.

I sat down and tried not to stare at the two girls as they sat down opposite me. I hadn't realised just how beautiful they were yesterday, but in completely different ways. Rosalie gave me a disdainful look.

"Don't I know you?" She asked.

"We have English together." I said, feeling nervous under her glare.

"Hmmm." She responded, looking thoughtful, but before she could expand Jasper and Alice came in.

Jasper gave me a worried look and stopped over the far end of the room with Alice at his side.

"It is a human." He declared.

"It's ok Jazz. You can hardly smell her." Alice said as she laid a hand against his cheek.

The boy with the red hair, I guess he must be Edward, came in at this point and sat down next to Bella. He placed his arm around her and she seemed to melt into him as he gave me a cautious look.

Emmett wasn't long behind him with a fourth couple. These must be the ones posing as the parents, although I could see why they were going with the foster parents line, these two didn't look that much older than the others.

"I am Carlisle." The man said.

He was handsome; there was no doubt about that. He was all pale and gold and it was almost like looking at the sun as he smiled at me warmly.

"Nikki Fey." I said, rising to my feet and shaking his hand.

"This is my wife Esme." He said, indicating the woman with the dark hair and the sweet kind face.

"It's nice to meet you Nikki." Esme said as she shook my hand. "I must say you've been causing us a lot of confusion."

"Confusion?" I asked, feeling confused myself.

"We couldn't work out why our powers stopped working when we were at the school, well I guess it's down to you." Alice said.

"I'm not doing anything." I said defensively.

"You may not be aware of your own powers." Edward said, "But you must be the source."

"Why are we telling her all of this?" Rosalie demanded. "We should have just left her out there in the dark. It's not as if the police would believe her, but here we are confirming it? Why? I don't want to have to move again. Not when we just got here."

"I don't think it will come to that." Carlisle said lightly. "Will it Nikki?"

"I'm not going to tell anyone." I stated.

"We have her word." Carlisle said with a smile.

"Of course, that makes everything fine." Rosalie said in a huff and crossed her arms, looking away from me.

"Come on Rose. There's no need to be like that." Emmett coaxed but Rosalie refused to be moved.

"I mean even if I did go to the cops they wouldn't believe me and they'd probably ignore me anyway." I said with a shrug. "Everyone ignores me."

"Yes. I noticed that." Rosalie said, narrowing her eyes at me. "The teacher acted as if you were not even there. As if the entire area you occupied didn't even exist."

"And it was the same in Art." Jasper observed. "The teacher looked at you but she couldn't see you. You left five minuets early and the teacher didn't even seem to notice the door open and close."

"Are you some kind of which?" Alice asked. "Have you bewitched the people of this town?"

"No!" I said, feeling offended. "I never done anything. They're the ones who ignore me. All of them. They can't see me, it's like I'm invisible."

"Maybe you are." Rosalie mused.

"You can see me." I pointed out.

"Then maybe you're a ghost."

"I don't think I'm dead."

"Isn't that the point of ghosts, that they don't know?"

"Rosalie, don't be rude." Esme chastised.

"There's no problem." I said with a shrug. "I've often wondered it myself. But then I speak to lots of people on-line and they seem to know I'm there so I don't know. I must be real. Every one reads my Blogs."

"Maybe you're a ghost writer."

"Rose!" Alice groaned.

Rosalie shrugged.

"So what if I was a ghost? What would you do about it?" I demanded.

"Well for one thing it would make our job easier."

"What job?" I asked.

"Well, if you were already dead we wouldn't have to kill you."

"Rose, nobody is going to be killed." Carlisle said softly.

"What if the Volturi find out?" Rose asked, "Have you thought of that?"

"The Volturi will not find out." Carlisle reassured her. "We are so far away from Italy that they will get no wind of this. I do not believe you have told anyone your suspicions?" Carlisle directed at me.

I shook my head, and then I felt my face fall into a guilty expression before I could stop myself.

"What did you do?" Rose demanded.

"I may have tweeted one insy-winsy thing." I said, pinching the air with my fingers.

"What did it say?"

"OMG the Joneses are vampires. What can I do?" I said without inflection.

"Great!" Rose exclaimed.

"It's not that bad." Bella said. "Nikki can just go on and say she was joking. That she was testing out a theory."

"What? In how to get yourself killed on the web?" Rose demanded.

"I'm sure this won't get flagged by the Volturi. Maybe there's a book you can pretend that you were reading and you didn't realise the characters surnamed Jones were vampires. And it really angered you because you liked the characters until then."

"Do you know of any such books?" Carlisle asked.

"No." Bella said with a shake of her head.

"But I have an idea who might." Edward said suddenly. "Who do we know that trawls through any vampire fiction they can get their hands on?"

"Marlin and Tobias." Esme said with a delighted gasp, "If anyone knows of such a story they will."

"I'll just see if they're on-line." Alice said, and closed her eyes.

Everyone watched her quietly, I mean really quietly. Nobody was breathing except for me. Alice frowned and her eyes snapped open.

"Maybe it would help if I looked the other way." Alice said and turned away from me.

Everyone waited again and then Alice groaned.

"I think you'll have to do it the normal way." Bella said.

"Darn." Alice grumbled.

"Do what the normal way?" I asked.

"See into the future to see if when we go on-line Tobias or Marlin are actually on-line." Bella explained. "I know it's probably an abuse of Alice's powers, but saves time having to load up the computer if they're not there."

"So you can really see into the future?" I asked.

"Usually." Alice said, putting slightly as she turned back to us.

"I'd really love to see that." I said, and I meant it.

Alice gasped and her eyes went blank.

"What do you know?" She said. "Marlin is on-line and Tobias will be shortly."

"Did you just have a vision?" Bella asked.

Alice nodded.

"And now I'm having another one. We will find out that the book we want was published last year. It was titled 'Keeping up with the Joneses.' Tobias will remark that he thought of it as a stealth vampire book and would not have been aware of it had it not been for the buzz in the forums. It's a book about this small town in anywhere America and this new family move in. They seem to be perfect in every way and everyone seems to love them, but then things start to turn sour in the quaint little town as the teenagers start to fall prey to a strange curse. It's around page 200 that the antagonist, Moira Sky, finds out that the Joneses are vampires. It's a shock reveal, you never see it coming since it was one of the Jones children who fell ill first." Alice blinked and smiled. "I think that would be ideal for our situation. Now we should go on-line and ask the question."

Alice and Jasper made their way over to the array of computers lined up along one wall of the room and Alice sat in front of one that was surrounded by collages of fashion off-cuts and the like. As she switched it on I turned to the others.

"Did she just really see the future?" I asked.

"Yes." Bella answered without taking a breath. "You wait and see. Everything she just told us is true and Marlin and Tobias will tell us it."

"Then why is she bothering to ask them?" I asked.

"Because things can get a little screwy if Alice doesn't follow through with her vision. Things shift, information goes awry."

"Ok." I said. "So can I read this message?"

"As soon as they've responded." Alice replied as she typed on the keyboard.

"Ok." I said with a shrug.

"You seem to be accepting this well." Rosalie pointed out.

I glanced at her and shrugged.

"When you've lived your life invisible you learn to accept a lot of stuff." I concluded.

"Hmmm." Rosalie agreed and she actually smiled.

"Do you think you can control your power?" Bella asked.

"I'm sorry?" I said, since the question was directed at me.

"Well as soon as you became interested in seeing Alice read the future she could. Maybe you can turn your power on and off. Maybe you can do it on purpose." Bella explained. "I'm just thinking out loud here you understand?"

"Yeah. But I don't really think I can do anything like that. It must be impossible to so those things."

"Got it." Alice said brightly and she flittered from the computer and handed a piece of paper to me. "That's what Tobias advised you to say. This will clear everything up and stop it being flagged by the Volturi."

"What's a Volturi?" I asked.

"You don't want to know." Rose said firmly. "The less you know about this whole thing the better."

I shrugged and looked down at the paper. It said more or less what Alice had said earlier. I was a little suspicious that she had just typed this out but the last line was, 'I assure you that this is from the hand of Tobias Hannigan and no other. Alice saw that you would doubt her, I suggest that you don't.'

So it was confirmation, but then again wouldn't anyone suspect?

"Stop worrying and get on-line." Alice said, pulling me up from the chair. "You need to do some damage control 'AngelWings2024'. The sooner you do it the more likely it will be that people will accept your explanation."

"Is that a prediction?" I asked as I sat in front of her computer.

"No. That's just common sense. Once you start typing I'll get a better reading of whether it will be successful or not."

"Ok." I said and logged into Twitter.

I took a moment to read through the tweets I'd had in response to what I'd wrote.

"Most of the guys think I'm reading that book anyway. They're reassuring me that it all ends well. I got a few, 'what are you talking about' and one, 'quick, grab the stakes and garlic' but other than that, nothing."

"Then just say that you are reading the book and you hope it does turn out for the best. The one making the stake comment spelt it 'steak', you could make a culinary joke about that." Alice said helpfully.

"Ok." I said and started writing what she'd told me.

"But how you'd normally write." She reminded me. "At least four of your followers will wonder why you're sounding weird if you post it like that."

So I started again, writing it how I normally would.

"That will go well. And embarrassing that Norris_Blake will make sure nobody else will try to make any more jokes and know that you are merely talking about the book." Alice said with a smile as looked at me, but her eyes were blank.

"Should I put something in my Blog about it?" I asked.

"Yes. Anything that will make it more likely that you were just reading the book." Alice encouraged me.

"Can I do that when I go home? I don't like to write in front of people."

"That's ok, but you have to remember to do it."

"I will." I promised.

"So how did you figure it out anyway?" Emmett asked.

"Like this." I said and I plugged the Dictaphone into the USB port.

I opened the music file and pressed play.

"I'll have to change the speed setting for you to hear." I said and went to adjust it.

"No need to." Alice said, stopping my hand.

"You recorded us?" Rose demanded.

"I didn't mean to." I said defensively. "I forgot to take it off record after English. I can't even hear anything at the moment. I can only hear it when I slow the speed down."

"Why would you do that?" Emmett asked.

"Because I was looking for interesting sound effects." I said, dropping my head in embarrassment.

"Sound effects?"

"For my web cartoon. 'Adventures of an Invisible Girl.' I post it on YouTube."

"That's you?" Emmett said. "I like that. Where do you come up with the ideas?"

"From my life." I said softly, it was weird talking face to face with someone who'd actually viewed my work.

"It's good." Emmett assured me. "Ain't that right Jazz?"

"It's very amusing." Jasper said, he was over the far side of the room again as if I repelled him.

"No." Edward said. "It's not that. Jasper hasn't been a vegetarian as long as we have and he likes to acclimatise himself to a human's scent, just to be on the safe side."

"Did you just read my mind?" I asked.

"Yes. It seems my talent is working once more, as is Bella's. How about you Jazz?"

"Yes. I'm starting to feel again."

"Then it might not be me." I said, "Maybe it's someone else and you caught me by mistake."

"There were no traces of anybody else in the vicinity and it would be highly unlikely that another person connected with your school would show up here at exactly the same time as you. Why would they come here and then leave?" Carlisle asked.

I shrugged.

"Perhaps your talent works in conjuncture with how you feel. Perhaps you are starting to feel comfortable in our presence and that has lowered whatever shield you may possess. I am merely surmising, there is a lot in this world I do not know." Carlisle said in apologetic tones.

"You can't know everything." I said, "Nobody could. Even if they lived to by a thousand."

"I know quite a few people of and that age and I'd have to agree with you." Carlisle said with a smile.

I watched for a moment, waiting for the punch line, but then it dawned on me that he was being serious.

"Oh my god! You actually know people that old?" I gasped.

Carlisle nodded.

"You're not that old are you?" I said, before I could stop myself.

"No." Carlisle said with a smile that let me know I hadn't offended him.

It was in that moment that I realised just how kind and understanding Carlisle was. He seemed like the nicest guy to ever walk this earth, and yet he was a vampire. Where was the sense in that?

"Just because we're vampires doesn't mean we're monsters." Edward said.

Ok, so the mind reading thing was going to grow old fast.

"And now your defences are back up." Edward said softly. "I am unable to read minds again."

I laughed in a mocking fashion and the others joined in.

"Well if it is me I hope I learn how to control it cause that's freaking awesome. Power on, power off, power on, power off. That would be more than awesome."

"I think we can safely say that you are responsible." Edward said with a wince. "We now know that you have unconscious control when you use the words, 'power on, power off.' Could you please stop, I feel as if someone put strobe lighting in my mind."

"Ok. I won't say it again." I promised with a smile. "Unless it's accidental of course."

"If only there was a way to know exactly how your power works." Carlisle mused.

"I don't need to know tonight." I said. "In fact I should probably be getting home. I guess it's quite late now."

"Half past twelve." Alice said without prompting.

"Really?" I said, "Huh! It's my birthday. I'm eighteen."

"Happy birthday." Esme said and she hugged me as the others wished me happy birthday too.

"Thank you." I said. "I should really be getting home now though. If my parents see that I'm missing they'll start panicking."

"I thought everybody ignored you." Rosalie pointed out.

"Yeah, except my parents. They are…well they're pretty intense. It's probably a good job I haven't got any friends since they only let me outside the door for school."

"You've got friends." Alice piped in. "You've got us now."

"Alice!" Rose hissed. "We can't promise her that. It'll mean death for her. You know what it's like for a human to hang around with our kind."

"It worked out well for me." Bella said.

"Yes, but now you're a vampire. You know it will come to that eventually if she keeps our company. Become a vampire or die." Rose said bluntly.

"I don't want to be a vampire." I said, appalled at the idea. "I like being human."

"But you won't stay that way if you be our friend." Rose said. "It's the truth so I don't know why you're all looking at me that way."

"The Volturi are hardly gonna know about her this far from Volterra." Alice said.

"We have enough to hide from the Volturi as it is. Do we really want to add to it?"

"Rosalie has a point." Carlisle said looking sad. "Please understand Miss Fey…"

"Please, call me Nikki."

"Understand that we would be delighted to extend our friendship to you but you must know the risks involved. Perhaps you should take some time to consider the prospect and in the mean time we will keep our distance."

"That sounds reasonable." I said. "So I guess I'll be going now. Do you think I could have my coat back?"

"Yes. Of course." Bella said, and jumped to her feet.

My coat was returned to me and I put it on properly before going to the door, you had to watch the cold on these dark nights. I opened the door and it flew against me as the wind blasted in along with a lot of snow.

"I don't think you'll be going anywhere tonight." Bella said as she forced the door closed. "We wouldn't even go out in this."

"But…" I said, looking longingly at the closed door.

"Don't worry dear. We have a bed you can use." Esme said kindly, placing her hands on my shoulders. "Sleep here and then we'll get you home once the blizzard passes."

I wanted to argue. I really just wanted to go home and hide under my covers and pretend that none of this had ever happened, but only a fool would go out in weather like this.

"Won't I be putting people out?" I asked.

"No dear. You can use our bed, Carlisle and I have too much to discuss tonight to make use of it."

"You can't stay up all night talking." I said, feeling aghast. "I mean you're a doctor, you need to be alert for your patients."

Carlisle smiled at me and looked about to answer but Emmett cut in.

"Even if they did go to bed it wouldn't be for sleep." He said, and chuckled deeply as Rosalie gave him a dark look.

"Huh?" I was a little lost at first, but then it hit me. "Oh… Oh god! Ewww… I can't think of parent types… Ewww…. Scary visual place!"

Emmett was laughing at me and I glared at him.

"Sorry but we ain't had a proper human to tease since Bella. I forgot how fun it is." He said, still laughing.

"Yes." Carlisle said and shook his head dismissively, as if he was excusing an indiscretion by a hyperactive toddler. "Now that Emmett has succeeded in turning you against the thought of using our bed I will point out that we have barely been here a week and Esme and I have found no use for it yet."

Emmett's mouth dropped open, and I had the weird feeling that it was because he couldn't imagine the gentle Carlisle and sweet Esme engaging in carnal passion anywhere other than a bed. So, ok, it still took me to a scary visual place, but at least I wouldn't be sleeping on the spot where it took place.

Really, I'm not a prude and Carlisle and Esme looked young, in their twenties maybe, but there was this part in my mind that couldn't get past the parent word. I guess it stemmed from my parents, I could never imagine them ever having had sex, as far as I was concerned they'd found me in the cabbage patch. Actually that didn't sound so bad an explanation; sometimes my parents seemed inexperienced, if that made any sense.

It didn't to me, but that's what I felt. My parents, god bless them, meant well but I could never imagine them knowing what the right hole was. Well I guess it was a one in three chance so that would explain me But then I always got the feeling that I was NOT related to them, but that's a normal teenage thing right?

"Will our bed suffice or would you prefer an air-mattress?" Carlisle asked, and I realised that this was the second time he posed the question.

"Your bed's good." I said. "It's very generous of you, as long as you're sure I'm not putting you out."

"Not at all." Esme assured me. "We don't sleep."

"You don't?" I gasped.

"The dead don't need to." Alice said with a grin.

I nodded my head.

"Come dear, I will show you to the room and Alice will find you something appropriate to wear."

I followed Esme up the stairs to the first floor and along the panelled hallway to the third door on the right. She opened the door and led me into a room that held nothing but a big soft bed surrounded by white gauze. The floor was carpeted in gold and the walls were a nice neutral colour that acted as a canvas to the whole design.

"Wow!" I gasped. "Did you get the interior decorators in?" I asked.

"This is my little hobby." Esme replied with a smile.

"It's good." I said. "I mean freaking amazing. You could make millions with talent like this."

Esme smiled but shook her head.

"I reserve it for my family only." She said. "The bathroom is through that door should you wish to freshen up. Alice won't be long with some bedclothes."

"Already here." Alice said brightly as she pushed a bundle of clothes into my arms.

"Thanks." I said, hugging them to my chest.

"No big deal." Alice assured me. "Have pleasant dreams." She said lightly, and then flittered away faster than my eyes could follow.

"Yes." Esme said. "Have sweet dreams and we will see you in the morning."

"Thank you." I said, then went inside the room and closed the door.

I didn't use the bathroom.

I changed quickly into the pyjamas that Alice had given me before I checked the inside of the door. There was no lock but I wasn't taking any chances. There was a little chair next to the bedside cabinet and I wedged it under the handle of the door before I climbed into the big cold bed.

I picked up my coat and draped it over the top of the quilt for that bit of added warmth before I curled up between the sheets and closed my eyes. I was surprised that I actually managed to get to sleep. I had learned so much today that it should have kept me up all night, but I managed to sleep, which was a good thing.

I even had a pleasant dream…

**

* * *

**

Thank you for reading

**Please review**

**Gemma x**


	5. Chapter 4 Conversations

**Disclaimer: Twilight is the property of Stephenie Meyer**

**First of all I'd like to give a credit to my wonderful Beta NobleK for helping me with the title of this chapter. What I had in mind was totally crap.**

**I'd like to dedicate this chapter to my Beta NobleK and my two girls Nikki and Minschen. You guys are what keeps me writing. Thank you :)**

**

* * *

**

Bella

"What a strange girl." Esme observed as she rejoined us in the living room.

"You can say that again." Rose said with a snort.

"But her power is interesting." I pointed out.

"Very." Edward agreed. "And to be able to turn it on and off without conscious effort."

"What puzzles me is how none of realised she was near when we were talking today. We did a quick scan of the area and didn't detect anything." Rose said with a frown.

"Because she has no scent." Jasper said softly.

We all looked at him in confusion.

"She has no scent." Jasper insisted. "Can any of you smell human in this room?"

We all sniffed at the air and other than the faint traces of the removal men buried beneath the scent of new paint there was no human scent.

"I guess that explains why I just suddenly came upon her." I observed. "I thought that maybe her scent was being covered by the snow."

"Interesting." Carlisle observed, looking suddenly thoughtful.

"You've heard of this?" Edward asked.

"Back when I was a guest of Aro's I attended the trial of an immortal who had been accused of allowing a human to find out about our race then allowing that human to escape and spread the words to others. It had led to vampire hunts and things got a little messy when the humans staked other humans by mistake. The vampire claimed that the human had discovered him whilst he was feeding and he had been too lost in the hunt to take notice. By the time he realised the human had already gone and there was no scent for him to follow." Carlisle explained. "Of course Caius thought he was inventing a story to save himself, and ordered his execution regardless."

"Well there are humans that smell more appealing to our kind than normal, why shouldn't there be those who don't register?" I asked.

"But it wouldn't make any sense. Everything has a scent to some extent, but Nikki has none." Jasper said. "It's as if she doesn't exist."

"That backs up my ghost theory." Rose said smugly.

"Or maybe we're not meant to perceive her." Carlisle said. "Think on it. The humans cannot see her, she has a talent that renders ours useless, especially those that pertain to observation apart from when she allowed it and she has no scent that registers with our kind. I think there is some force at work here that stops this girl being known in the world."

"But we can still see her." I said.

"Yes. However there would be no point in hiding her from the sight of our kind. After all what is one more human face to a vampire? We recognise each other by scent first since we are able to do so from much further afield."

"What could be that powerful?" Edward asked.

"As I said previously, there are many things in this world that I have no knowledge of." Carlisle pointed out gently.

"Great! So now we've got a human who we can't smell so we've got no way to track her down if she starts blabbing about us to everyone." Rose said in a disgruntled tone.

"I don't think she will." Alice said.

"You seen it Pixie?" Rose demanded.

"No. I can't see her future, it shifts about too much. But I don't think she's the type to blab, and even if she did, the humans all ignore her so it's not as if any of them will listen to her." Alice replied.

"The humans do seem to ignore her." Jasper said. "She looked utterly perplexed that I spoke to her yesterday and then the teacher blanked her completely. She looked to where the girl was sitting then she looked through her and went on to the next group."

"We have to get to the bottom of this." I said. "Or it's gonna bug me."

"Cullen Investigations." Emmett said with a laugh. "I like it. So what's our first objective Inspector Bella?"

"I don't know." I said defensively. "Maybe we should just keep a close eye on Nikki and take it from there."

"That seems to be the best idea, but we can't make it too obvious." Edward said.

"She's going to be our friend so we don't have to spy on her." Alice said firmly. "She'll tell us in time. I bet she doesn't even know what she is herself."

"She was very adamant that she was human." Edward said. "Even in her mind."

"So wait. Are we saying she's not human now?" I asked feeling shocked.

The others shrugged.

"The point is that if Nikki thinks of herself as human perhaps she is unaware that there is something extra to her parentage." Carlisle said. "Perhaps her parents will keep it a secret to see if her power will manifest, as is the case with the Quileutes."

"Or maybe she is just human and had a really good shield that extends to blocking her scent also." I pointed out.

"Perhaps." Carlisle conceded. "It is clear we are unlikely to come to the bottom of this tonight. I think it would be best that we leave it for now and continue this conversation at a later date."

We all agreed since there wasn't much more we could discuss and we had better things we could be doing with the remainder of the night. Edward and I retired to our room and made good use of our time.

After our night of passion I decided to make some breakfast for Nikki. It was the least I could do since Esme and Carlisle had given up their room for her to sleep. Edward didn't mind, he liked watching me cook. Although as I stirred the pancake mix I had to stop for a moment, it brought back too many memories of cooking for Renesmee.

Edward put his arms around me and I leant into his chest for a few moments while I regained my composure.

"Thanks." I said as I straitened up.

"It was nothing." Edward said softly. "I miss her too."

I nodded my head sadly before I continued preparing breakfast for our guest.

"We will see them soon." Edward promised me, but how soon was soon?

We couldn't go anywhere near Forks for the foreseeable future and it was always a risk for Essie to travel anywhere because of her unique heritage. The Volturi have eyes everywhere and if they saw a little girl with russet skin and Edward's rare bronze hair then they would get suspicious. That was why it was best if she stayed on the Res where it was safe. It would be wrong to ask Nessie to come visit us without her child, so it looked like it would be a long while before we could see them again.

My mind had been drifting on these thoughts, but I still managed to cook the breakfast, pancakes for the sweetness and some sausage, eggs and bacon since it was such a cold day and a good breakfast always felt better. I made some coffee as well, although I wasn't certain if she drank it.

I know what you're thinking, why would we have food in if we didn't actually eat it? It was for appearance sake. People would think it strange if we never bought food, so we bought it, mostly canned goods, and then we would donate them to the local homeless shelter anonymously. That way the food didn't go to waste.

"Something smells good." Nikki said from the doorway.

"I'm glad. It's hard to be sure these days." I said, placing the food on the table. "To us this just smells a bit…well not nice."

"So this is all for me?" She asked, looking shocked.

"Breakfast is the most important meal of the day." I stated as I motioned for her to sit down. "Coffee?" I asked, holding up the pot.

"Yes please." She said, as she still looked around at the food a little disbelieving.

I poured some coffee into a mug and placed it next to her food.

"Well all the condiments are here. We'll just leave you to it, I'm sure you'll feel more comfortable without us sitting here watching you eat."

"No. It's ok. It's nice to have the company of people my own age for a change." She said before cutting off a bit of pancake and placing it in her mouth. "This is really good." She said, speaking around the mouthful of food.

"Thank you." I said, pushing back on the revulsion of seeing a human eat.

"My mom can't cook to save her life." Nikki explained between mouthfuls, "So we never get a breakfast like this."

"That's too bad." I said, "Although I always cooked my own food at home. Renee was adventurous but not very good and then Charlie could fry up some bacon and eggs and that was about it for his culinary talents."

"My mother doesn't like me using the stove." Nikki said as she rolled her brown eyes.

"But you're eighteen!" I exclaimed.

Nikki shrugged.

"They're very protective of me." She explained, "Actually I should probably get going soon, they're going to be worried."

"You can phone them if you like." I offered.

"Nah. I think it'll be better if I just sneak in before they wake up." She said with a shake of her head.

"Whatever you think is best." I said with a shrug.

She smiled and finished up her food.

"You don't talk much do you?" She said to Edward.

"I haven't worked you out yet." Edward said, "Once I have done this I'll have plenty of things to ask you, but I'm biding my time."

"Ok." She said dismissively.

She was quiet while she drank her coffee, but she placed the empty cup down as if it were a gavel once she had finished.

"That was great." She said, "Nobody who cooks that well could be evil."

"Thank you." I replied with a chuckle.

"Of course you could just be fattening me up." She said with a mischievous grin.

"There would be no point." Edward said in serious tones. "It would be your blood we would require not your flesh. Fattening you up would make it more difficult to reach it."

"Good point." Nikki conceded. "So you guys got a dishwasher?"

"Yes." Alice answered as she breezed into the kitchen. "We call him Emmett."

"Oh." Nikki said with a frown. "Well I can do these."

"No." Alice instructed. "Emmett lost a bet and he has to do all the dishes for the next ten years."

"That sucks." Nikki observed.

"Not really." I replied. "We don't have dishes every day, only when guests stop by."

"So it's just a once in a while thing?" Nikki asked.

"Yes."

"I guess that's not so bad then." Nikki said with a shrug. "I'd hate to have to do them every night for ten years. That would be bad, even if I could live forever."

I laughed, it was hard not to.

"So how old are you anyway?" She asked.

"Sixteen." I said, going with my pretend age for the time being.

Nikki gave me a look.

"Ok. Eighteen." I conceded. "But I'm definitely not nineteen."

"Ok. So you were eighteen when you died, or got turned or whatever the phrase it is you use, but how old would you be now if you were still human?"

"About fifty-four, I think. I haven't taken much notice since I became a vampire. I'm eighteen forever." I said firmly.

"Of coursed you are." Alice agreed with a smile.

"Cool." Nikki observed. "Although if I was gonna live forever I'd choose to look in my mid twenties. You got more leeway then when you want to stay somewhere. I mean it can't be much fun having to go back to school again and again."

"I suppose, but I didn't want to look older then my husband and since he was stuck looking seventeen I definitely didn't want to look in my twenties."

"Why did you choose seventeen?" She directed at Edward.

"I didn't." Edward replied. "It chose me."

Nikki looked confused.

"I was dying and Carlisle chose to save me." Edward replied a little uncomfortably.

"So how old are you?"

"I was born in 1901." Edward said softly.

"Wow! So you're over a hundred?" She gasped.

"Yes."

"Guess you got a bit of catching up to do." She said to me with a laugh.

"Yeah." I agreed, although I was unsure how I was supposed to ever catch up with Edward, he'd always be that much older than me.

"So do you really know people who are over a thousand?"

Edward, Alice and I all nodded.

"Damn! That must be weird."

"Not really." Alice observed cheerfully. "Some of our good friends are over a thousand, but then again so are some of our enemies."

"You have enemies?" She asked with a gasp.

"I wouldn't call them true enemies." Edward replied. "More of an authority who do not trust our vegetarian ways and covert our powers so much so that they look for any excuse to come after us."

"Yeah. God help us if they ever found out about Essie." I said with a small shake of my head.

"Who's Essie?" Nikki asked.

"Um…"

"We can not tell you that for it would risk your life as much as hers." Edward said smoothly.

"God. There seems to be a lot of things that I can't know because it'll get me killed. But if I'll probably get killed for just knowing about you anyway isn't it better if I know it all so I know what to look out for?" She reasoned.

"If it was only your life at risk then yes." Edward said firmly. "However there are those we must protect and for that reason you can not know."

"Why? I won't tell anyone." Nikki demanded.

"But your mind's not safe from the Volturi. Nobody's mind is." Edward said firmly.

"Except mine." I pointed out.

"Except yours." Edward said, looking suddenly thoughtful, and I think we must have all formed the same opinion as we three turned at the same time to view Nikki.

"What?" She asked, looking self-conscious.

"You can block our powers." I said. "So you should block their powers too."

Nikki shrugged.

"We will tell you everything, but it's a long story and we got school right now. If you really want to know everything about us then come back tonight and we'll tell you." Alice added.

"Really?" She asked, sounding astonished.

"We promise." I said. "At least Alice, Edward and I will tell you everything to do with us. It's up to the others if they wish share as well."

"That's ok. It'll be good to know something I guess. So yeah, I'll come back tonight. Although it might be later since I'll have to sneak past the parents again." She said, looking shifty.

"Last of the rebels." Alice said with a laugh.

"You bet'cha." She said and winked.

We all laughed at this.

"Well I guess I'd better get going." She said, "I need to get changed before school. So I guess I'll see you guys later."

We nodded.

"Give my thanks to Esme and Carlisle, it was kind of them to allow me to stay over." She said. "I'll thank them properly later, but I'd appreciate it if you could tell them for me too."

"Sure." I said. "We'll do that."

"Then I guess I'll see you in school." She said.

"Of course." Alice replied. "We'll see you later."

Nikki smiled one last time before she made her way out.

"Are we really going to tell her everything?" I asked.

"I doubt the Volturi will ever find her and if they do her power will render Aro's useless. She's right, she needs to know more if she has to protect herself." Alice said pointedly.

"I guess. Then we should tell her everything we can, and ask the others if they want to as well." I agreed.

"I doubt if Rose will, but the others should be willing." Edward observed.

"Willing to do what?" Rose asked as she entered the kitchen.

"I got dishes to do?" Emmett complained as he came in just behind her.

"That's what happens when humans stay over." Rose said. "They leave a mess. So what won't I be willing to do?"

"Tell Nikki your life story." Edward replied.

"What? You are joking right?" Rose scoffed.

"She already knows too much so it will make her better prepared." I stated.

Rose snorted, "You're going to get us all killed."

"How?" I demanded.

"If the Volturi catch her and Aro reads her we're all dead."

"If." I said pointedly. "If the Volturi catch her is highly unlikely and for Aro to actually read her? Why would he do that?"

"This isn't going to end well." Rosalie said firmly. "You wait and see." She added before she walked out of the kitchen.

Edward, Alice and I looked at each other.

"I know Rose can be a bit…cautious, but I have to agree with her this time. We have to be careful how we handle this. I don't think the Volturi will catch us out in this one, but I'd rather not give them the excuse." Emmett said firmly.

"I thought you wanted to fight the Volturi." Edward stated.

"There's wanting to fight and then there's being silly. There's no point facing those Italian Goons if there's a chance you're gonna lose."

"Ok." I said. "But they're not going to come here, and even if they did, do you think they'd even take note of Nikki? She stopped our powers and she can do the same to the Volturi. There's something more about her, something we're not quite seeing. I don't think she even knows it herself." I sighed. "I guess we'd better go to school."

**

* * *

**

Thank you for reading

**Please review**

**Gemma x**


	6. Chapter 5 Family

**Disclaimer: Twilight is the property of Stephenie Meyer**

**I'd like to dedicate this chapter to my beta Noble and also to Nikki**

**Sorry this has taken a while but I've had the biggest bout of writer's block these last couple of weeks. Anyways, I hope to end this story in the next chapter and then it's back to Essie**

* * *

As soon as I arrived home from school I knew something wasn't right, I could feel it. It was that strange feeling you get in dreams sometimes when you recognise somewhere but it looks all wrong. My heart was pounding as I closed the door behind me and looked along the hall.

Nothing seemed out of place, yet something felt wrong. My worry grew when my mother didn't rush to greet me, especially since it was my birthday. Feeling a strange lurch in my stomach I made my way into the living room and stopped dead when I saw the stranger.

She would probably be five foot ten if she stood, but her thin frame would probably make her look taller. Her hair was black and cut to her jaw-line; it put me in mind of a 1920s vamp, even down to her make up. She wore a simple black dress as she sat on the sofa examining her crimson talons.

I froze and she looked up with a smile on her painted lips.

"At last Daegar. I was beginning to think you wouldn't show."

"Huh?"

"Oh come sit here by your old Aunt and tell me all about you." She said in cooing voice as she patted the seat cushion next to her.

"My Aunt?" I asked. "I don't have any aunties, or uncles. My parents were only children."

"Your parents? Those two automatons my foolish sister created to protect you? They are not your parents."

"They aren't?" I asked, frowning as I sat down on the furthest seat from the strange woman.

"No. Merely constructs meant to guard you from our kind until you came of age and were no longer worth killing." She said simply, showing no remorse in the fact that she had wanted to kill me.

"Worth killing?" I demanded.

"You passed eighteen, that is when our kind come of age and the power truly manifest. Do you know nothing Daegar?" She demanded as if I'd said I didn't know what colour the sky was.

"Nikki." I snapped. "My name is Nikki."

"In our society you are Daegar and I am Ariana."

"That's pretty." I observed. "What's it mean?"

"Daughter of the first house. My full name is Ariana Maireth Belsana Helareth Tremores, but I prefer Ariana for obvious reasons."

"So you're a princess?" I hazarded.

"To put it in the crude words of this existence, yes." Ariana replied.

"So what does Daegar mean?" I asked, feeling a little excitement that I might be a princess too.

"No name. A person who is not worthy of mention. Someone who is nothing." Ariana said flatly.

"What! But I'm someone!" I raged.

"Really? How many friends do you have?" She asked a little slyly for my liking.

"Well…I…I have friends. They're called the Cullens and they're good people." I said, hoping that I had the right to call them my friends.

"Mortals took note of you?" Ariana asked in shock.

"Yes. Although I wouldn't exactly call them mortal." I said with a smirk.

"You would not? Then what would you call them?" She asked in a voice that sounded very much like she was humouring me.

"Immortal. They are vampires."

"Vampires?" Ariana demanded, and then she began to laugh. "I would not call them immortal little Daegar. They are not immortal at all. They perish once they leave this skin to be absorbed by the great life force of the beyond. Whereas we truly are immortals. We are the True Immortals who live on in Potentia for eternity and we can manifest corporeal whenever we so desire. Just as you can now, although there are those amongst us who would think you vulgar."

"Why?"

"Because you are half, what is the mortal 'sentient' of this world, ah yes, human. You are half human."

"What do you mean _half _human?" I asked a little tersely.

"You are a True Immortal Daegar…"

"…Nikki…"

"At least now you have reached eighteen. If we had been able to track you sooner then we would have killed you before your power manifest. But my sister was always the best at spells, especially those of concealment, and now here you are. Eighteen and inherent of all the powers bestowed on the True Immortals."

"What is a True Immortal?"

"We are the…the royalty of all life that is possible. We live outside of the confines of the laws that govern every one of the multiverses. We are not part of the everything, the energy that gets exchanged between the worlds; we have conscious outside of that. Yet we can create these shells to interact with the myriad people confined to these worlds. We can feed off their energies to prolong our stay here, but we must never, ever become involved. Something my dear sister forgot."

"Why can't you get involved?"

"Because it is beneath us to mix our essence with such lowly creatures." Ariana declared, wrinkling her nose in distaste. "Can you imagine being forced to endure the blood of a human flowing in your veins? It would be beyond disgusting. No offence deary."

"None taken." I said flatly. "So you've come here to insult me." I concluded.

"On the contrary. I have come to induct you into our world."

"Into a world full of people that would have killed me yesterday if they'd known where I was and think so little of me that they think I don't deserve a name?"

"No need to get touchy." Ariana responded. "Listen kid, I didn't need to come all this way, wasting my time in telling you what you are. I could have just left you to live out the rest of your mortal life in lonely ignorance wondering why no boy will look at you twice."

"Then why did you come?"

"Because despite everything I love my sister, even if she was foolish, and I want to protect her progeny. After all, you are my blood, even if it is somewhat tainted."

"So is that a True Immortal thing or just you?" I asked.

"I'm not sure…"

"Give a compliment in one breath and null and void it in the next?" I said, cutting her off.

Ariana laughed.

"It is a family trait, something you will learn to do…eventually."

"I can't wait." I said flatly.

"Personality traits aside, there are some things you must learn that will be more detrimental to you than learning how to insult people."

"Such as?"

"Wouldn't you like people to see you?"

"What? I can make that happen?" I asked, unable to suppress my excitement.

"Dear child, it is only your mother's will that has kept you invisible to the world and therefore safe. Now that you are of age and inherent of your own powers you can remove the perception filter that your mother built around you in order to protect you all these years."

"Perception filter?"

"People don't see you, not because you're invisible but because they can't see you. They get repelled if they try to focus on you too closely." She explained.

"Then how can the Joneses see me?"

"These would be your vampire friends?" She asked.

I nodded.

"Vampires are more likely to perceive humans through scent rather than sight. Human are their prey, so why would appearance matter? Appearance will not inform you of how that human's blood will taste, but scent… Scent allows you to pick up on them from far away. It tells you the past and can hint at the future. It gives you much more information than your eyes can."

"You sound as if you're speaking from experience." I said, unsure if I liked the thought of that.

"I may have worn the skin of a vampire once or twice." She said with a shrug.

"Worn the skin? Is that what you call it?" I asked, feeling a little disgusted.

"Yes. This you see here is merely a suit. I could take it off and put on another as easily as you would change that coat."

"No way." I snorted.

"Observe." Ariana declared as she stood.

She crossed her arms over her chest then flung them down and out as she threw her head back and closed her eyes. Slowly, starting at her fingers she seemed to break away, becoming dust that floated away on the wind. The dust broke apart until there was nothing in the room, other then what was usually here.

"Um…Ariana?" I called.

"That's Aunt Ariana to you sweetie." Someone said behind me.

I turned quickly to find a small girlish woman with gold ringlets perched on the edge of the dresser. She was wearing a dress of summer sky blue that flowed in billows of crinoline around her. The shade of the dress matched the shade of her eyes and even though I'd never seen her before I recognised her immediately.

"Aunt Ariana." I stated.

"Yes Sweetie." She said in a cutsie, sugary voice. "Why do you look so confused?"

"Well I know it's you. You look nothing like you did earlier, but I know it's you. How?"

"Oh you're powerful." She gasped, jumping down off the dresser and almost floating over to me. "Only awakened to your powers this very day and already you see our essence."

"But I can't see your essence."

"That was a bad way to put it." She conceded. "You do not see it, not with those primitive eyes. You see it with your real eyes. That human brain is not able to register such a thing, but it can adapt. It gives you 'feelings' about certain things. That's why you recognise me even though I look completely different."

"But what's the point?"

"Well I could hardly go to Beldor looking like this. I would frighten their children for they fear the monsters with hair of gold and only two legs."

I gave her an incredulous look.

"This is not the only reality we can enter my dear. There are many worlds out there. To be honest this is a bit of a backwater, that's probably why your mother was successful in hiding you all this time." She observed. "None of us really like this world. Not since it got science. They always think of some logical explanation for your display of powers and it really spoils our fun."

"Fun?"

"Getting mortal creatures to believe in things that do not exist in their world." She explained with a grin.

"Such as?" I prompted.

"Unicorns. Centaurs. Fairies. Angels."

"Angels?" I asked.

"Yes, observe." Ariana said, and she did that thing with her arms again.

This time she rematerialised right in front of me. She had kept the gold hair but now it flicked back from her face in wings. Her nose was definitely aquiline; I got a chill down my back as if she were a human sized bird of prey. The orange of her eyes didn't help either. Her frame was tall and draped in glowing white robes. Huge white wings like a dove's wings were attached to her back. They moved when she moved and my mouth fell open.

"That's the expression most people give." She said with a pout in a voice that sounded like sunshine.

"What?" I asked.

"Disbelief. Time was that when you presented such a face to a human they would fall to their knees in worship. Not look at you as if you can't possibly be real then start searching for the smoke and mirrors. There is no fun in this world anymore. If it wasn't for the fact that it is such a great food source we'd stop coming here completely."

"Food source?" I asked.

"Yes. Why else would we come here?"

I gave her a nervous look.

"So what exactly is your." I had to take a moment before I could say the next words, "Food source?"

"Our food source is the energy given off by mortal creatures during coitus."

"Coitus? You mean sex?"

"Is that what the mortal creatures refer to their process of making other little…humans?"

"Yeah. Sometimes. Sometimes they just do it for fun."

"And that is what it should be for us when we tangle with the mortal creatures. For our pleasure only. We should never use it to increase our numbers for it produces inferior offspring."

"Gee thanks." I murmured.

"You may take offence, but your development has been stunted by your human half. Why if you were full True Immortal you would have learned all of our ways by now. As it is you have the knowledge of a two year old."

"Well that's not exactly my fault." I countered.

"No. It is my sister's fault. She should not have left you to this cruel world. Even if she did create protectors for you."

"Protectors? You mean my parents?"

"Yes. But they are not your parents, merely constructs." Ariana said off hand.

"Where are they?" I asked as I suddenly realised their absence.

"You have no further use for them so I disbanded them."

"Disbanded?" I demanded.

Ariana nodded her angelic head.

"They had to go."

"By go, do you mean you…" I fluttered my fingers through the air.

"Returned them to the atoms from which they were made?"

I nodded my head.

"Yes. What else would I have done with them?" Ariana asked as if she were talking of throwing litter into a bin.

"So effectively they are…dead?"

"They were not alive to begin with, but I suppose you could apply that term." Ariana said with a shrug.

"Oh god!" I gasped as I sank to the floor, covering my eyes with my hands. "They're dead."

"They were never alive." Ariana said, as if I was hard of understanding.

"Never alive?" I demanded, shooting to my feet. "Then who were these people who raised me these past eighteen years? Were they nothing but air?"

"No."

I gave her a questioning look.

"For the most part they were made from amino chains, calcium and all other manner of elements. The air inside them was what they breathed in and out."

I glared at her, knowing that she was being deliberately misunderstanding, in which case it made her very cruel.

"Not cruel, merely indifferent." Ariana replied.

"So you can read my mind?"

"No. But it's not hard to guess what you're thinking brought up in this barbaric place."

I shook my head unable to deal with this.

"Just go away. I've had enough of you. I can't deal with this right now."

"Fair enough." Ariana said, not sounding the least bit offended. "But when you've changed your mind just give me a call."

"How?"

"Just say, Aunt Ariana I need you, and wherever I am I'll come to you."

"Sure." I said, knowing that I would never call on her, I just wanted to make sure I didn't call her by accident.

"You will call Daegar, of that I am sure." And she faded once more.

I waited a full five minuets to make sure she had definitely gone before I began to move.

I ran around our little two-story house calling out to my parents, but one thing was for certain, they weren't here. There wasn't even a trace that they had been except for the bed in their room. We'd never been big on photos and trinkets and now there was no proof they had ever existed.

Well I knew I wasn't going to stay in this house on my own. It was too creepy; I'd rather live in a house full of vampires.

I packed some things into a suitcase. I made my way through the slush that was now starting to freeze as the night drew in. My car was at the bottom of the drive since it made it easier to get out if it snowed. That was the thing about us Alaskans; it was only the blizzards that stopped us, nothing else.

I threw my suitcase into the car and climbed in after it.

I sat for a very long time considering my next move. Should I really bring this trouble to the door of the Joneses? But then again, I had nowhere else to go.

Without another thought I started the car and drove out to their house.

I drove up the long drive today, surprised that it was actually clear of snow. Although it didn't make a big impact on me, I already had so much weird to deal with. I parked outside the house and ran up to the door and knocked.

Alice answered the door.

"What's wrong?" She asked immediately.

"I have just had the weirdest conversation ever!" I gasped.

"Come in." Alice said and I stepped inside. "Weirder than finding out vampires exist?" She asked as we made our way to the sofas.

"Much." I said with feeling as I sat in one of the seats.

"Tell me what happened." She said.

"I got home from school today and there was this woman I'd never met before…" Then I recounted the whole thing to Alice.

"That is the strangest thing I've ever heard." She observed. "I've never heard anything like it."

"But my parents, they're gone, and she just didn't seem to care." I whispered and I realised that I was crying.

I sniffed and wiped at my eyes.

"They're dead, but she said they weren't alive to begin with. But they're my parents, they raised me. Cynthia was my mother, not some whatever somewhere far away. Why hasn't she come to find me? Why send her sister instead?"

"I can't answer that." Alice said softly.

"I don't know what I'm supposed to do now. My parents are gone. My crazy Aunt will show up if I say the magic words. It's hopeless." I sighed.

"It'll be ok." Alice said and she sat beside me before hugging me. "We'll help you out. I'm sure you can stay here, we do have an extra room we'll just have to get a bed for it."

"What?" Rose demanded from the doorway. "Alice! You can't just invite a human to stay here without consulting the rest of us."

"I can if I know the outcome of the vote." Alice said sweetly. "Besides, Nikki isn't human."

"What?" Rose demanded irritably.

"She's a True Immortal."

"And what's that?"

"I don't know." I said and sniffed. "Something that can take on different forms or none at all. I don't know."

Rosie made a derisive sound in the back of her throat.

"You can mock, but I think Nikki's telling the truth." Alice said softly.

"Ok. So what if she's not human, does that give you enough reason to just invite her into our home?" Rose demanded.

Alice shrugged.

Rose narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Carlisle!" She called out. "Alice wants to take in strays again!"

A moment later Carlisle appeared with Esme close behind him.

"Good evening Nikki." He said pleasantly.

"Evening." I replied, managing a smile.

"What animal is it this time Alice?" Carlisle asked warily.

"There's no animal." Alice said firmly. "Rose was merely being facetious. She was referring to Nikki. Something happened with her parents and now she has nowhere to go."

"Oh you poor dear!" Esme gasped and she came to hug me.

"So she's staying?" Rose asked. "This is just…great." She added in a very annoyed voice before leaving the room in a huff.

"I can go…find a hotel or something if it'll make everyone happy." I murmured.

"Nonsense. If there is one thing us Cullens pride ourselves on it is our hospitality to our friends." Carlisle said firmly.

"Cullens?" I asked.

"That's our real family name." Alice informed me. "But we had to change it for obvious reasons."

"Were you run out of your last town?" I asked before I could stop myself.

"Only by one mad drunk." Alice replied with a smile. "But we always choose a new name every other town to cover up the paper trail. Somebody might start to become suspicious if we appeared too often with the same surnames. We want to live as much of a human life as possible, this requires an awful amount of lying."

"Well if it's to protect you all what's the harm?" I asked.

"Exactly." Alice agreed.

"I'd lie to protect my family." I admitted. "Whoever they may be." I conceded.

Both Alice and Esme hugged me.

"You will stay here with us." Esme declared. "We have a spare room we can transform into a bedroom for you."

"You're very kind." I observed. "You don't have to do this."

"But we want to." Esme assured me. "Now come, I will show you your new room."

It was surprising how easily they all welcomed me into the family. Even Rose got over herself once she realised I was gonna be a permanent fixture in the house. The room they gave me was much better than my room at home had been, although it still felt strange for the first month.

I guess the biggest adjustment was getting used to life without my parents. They had raised me and for the biggest part of my life had been the only people to interact with me face-to-face. I spent that first month mourning them, wearing black and walking around in a cloud of despair, despite the new family around me.

But little by little, as these things often go, I started to feel a little better. It was easier to laugh at Emmett's lame jokes or play dress up with Alice. Rose and I had the same humour and derision over the latest celebrity fads in the glossies. With Bella I could talk books like I'd always imagined college people would and I got to see a few perspectives on certain works that I'd never considered before. Edward liked music, something I found out after he'd 'worked me out' enough to realise that I wasn't a threat to him or Bella. Bella joined in on the music talks just like he joined in on the book talks, they spent almost they're whole time together. They were very intense.

To tell you the truth all the Cullens in their courting pairs are very intense. It was very rare that they spent time away from their significant other. It was only when they're human masks demanded it, or on the odd occasion when the boys wanted to do boy stuff and Alice took us girls shopping.

Shopping with Alice is fun. She has an eye for what goes together, even if it doesn't look as if it will. It's like a gift way beyond seeing the future where she just knows it will look good on you. And for her price meant nothing, although she did have an eye for a good bargain when they were around.

Carlisle and Esme did become like second parents to me. Carlisle was always interested in how school was going and it seemed like real interest too, not just faked interest because he thought he had to show it. Esme would have made the best mother in the world; she was everything you imagined a mother to be.

The first thing she did was to teach me how to cook, once I got over my aversion to touching the stove because of my mother's rules. I had a knack for it and I especially liked baking, although that meant there was too much tasty food around and I was the only one who ate it.

I finished school as invisible as ever, but I didn't really care, there wouldn't be any point in making friends with only a couple of weeks to go until graduation. I guess that went as well as it usually did. I graduated with the highest points, not that anyone noticed. I mean anyone besides the Cullens.

I had managed to get into Dartmouth, don't ask me how but I had the grades and my parents had forwarded the money before they…

I was set to go off to college, but I didn't want to leave my new family, not just after meeting them. So you can imagine my joy when I learned that not one but two members of my new family were going to be joining me. Ok, so one of them was Rose and we were still on shaky ground, but I was sure I could win her around by the start of school.

Rose was starting to warm to me by the autumn, although I wouldn't have called us close friends at this point. It was clear she wasn't happy about having me share the accommodation with her and Emmett, but I guess she would have shown the same distain had it been any of the others. This after all had been her chance to spend some time alone with Emmett free from the others.

I didn't like to intrude on this time but the others assured me it was fine. I tried to think of ways to make it up to Rosalie, but they all seemed lame in comparison to what I was taking from her. In the end I pulled her aside and in a joking manner laid down some 'room mate rules'. You know, the old sock on the doorknob etc.

At first I thought it was an epic fail from the look Rose gave me. But then she smiled before she laughed. She'd clapped me on the shoulder and said, "I think that'll work out just fine. Although I'm sure to run out of socks." She'd winked at me and I'd laughed.

I guess that was the first real icebreaker for us, and it really worked. Rose and I were thick as thieves in college. We were a sorority of two, although many others wished to join, but we kept them at arms length. After all there were too many secrets for us to risk to these strangers.

Rose is probably one of the most beautiful women on the planet, so needless to say she got a lot of attention from all those college guys. She wasn't interested of course. She has her Emmett so none of those frat boys appeal to her in anyway. But it meant I saw a lot of action in the way of dates and invites to parities since they thought that they could get closer to Rose if they courted me.

Boys!

Rose, Em and me had a lot of laughs over some of the things these boys would do. There was this one in our second year who had stayed the night, and I'm not going to lie, pretend I'm some innocent little girl by that time, because I wasn't. I liked sex, liked it from the moment I'd first felt that indescribable rush as Rudy Dijon moved against me in that rhythmic way. I'd felt some rush of energy take me as he lay panting beneath me, it was amazing! I had wanted more, no matter from where it came. That's why I entertained the creeps.

Anyway, there was this one Ernie Berwick, thought he was the bee's knees. He'd obviously been king jock in high school and had somehow managed to make it to head frat boy here in college. He thought he had a right to Rose for this very reason; he had to have his queen. Even if it meant courting the handmaiden first.

He'd taken me out for the evening, a movie and some fast food, and we'd ended up back at our apartment with a bottle of cheap wine and a need that wanted immediate attention. I had obligingly tied the sock to the door handle, it was the joke Rose and I shared, and had entered into my bedroom, taking full command of this big man who turned out to be a quivering boy. But I didn't mind, the more I was in control the better.

I had fallen into a satisfied sleep beside him, only to awake in the early hours to find him gone. I thought that he might have gone to the bathroom, but our apartment was hard to navigate in the dark if you didn't know your way around. So I got up, pulled on my kimono and stepped out into the living room/kitchen area. I turned on the light in time to see him come staggering out of Rose's room.

"Nikki, do you think you could keep a better watch on the low-lives you drag back here?" Emmett demanded as Rose subjected Ernie to one of her death glares.

"Sorry Em. I only went to sleep. Was he really trying to creep in on you and Rose?"

"Yeah." Emmett growled. "He's lucky I don't pound on him."

"Yeah. But maybe I should. I mean, he was staying the night with me, we had sex earlier and he was just gonna try it on with Rose while I was sleeping?" I demanded, placing my hands on my hips.

"As if I would have entertained him when he'd spent the earlier part of the evening with you, even if I didn't have my Emmett!" Rose raged. "When will these cretins learn that I have the love of my life right here and none of these tactics will turn me against him?"

"I don't think they ever will." I said sadly. "You see, what Ernie didn't take into account was the fact that I could have kept him busy all night and really blown his mind if he'd seemed up to it. But he fell asleep and so did I. Stupid boy."

"Very stupid." Rose agreed.

"Yeah." Emmett put in cracking his knuckles, and when a vampire does this you can really hear it.

Ernie flinched and blanched; he looked almost as pale as my two friends. This made me smile slightly; after all, he had been looking to hit on my friend after screwing me, why shouldn't I feel at least a little bit satisfied?

Ernie left in the next few minuets following that exchange and we laughed for long time after, although I didn't press matters because I knew Rose and Em had better things to be getting on with. I left them to it and settled into a sleep that left me feeling at peace with the world.

After Ernie I stopped getting the Rose stalkers and finally came to know the guys who were interested in me, and how I revelled in the attention. Come on! You can't blame me! I'd been invisible all my life and now all these guys wanted to get to know little old me, and not just to get into Rose's panties. They wanted to get into mine.

I had no objection to this, provided they could keep up with me.

And then there was Matt. Lovely, lovely Matt.

He was, well he wasn't too tall, but then I was only of average height for a woman so it didn't really matter. He was so, indescribable, there was just something other about him that seemed to appeal to me. He had a fascination with conspiracy theories that would have been a big turnoff in anyone but him. Normally I would have derided such notions but he made it seem so believable.

I was happy with him. You know the type of happy where you can imagine yourself still being with that person ten or twenty years down the line. Thirty years when you're both greying and starting to go to seed, I could see all that with Matt. I knew he felt the same way about me, even his friends confirmed it. They told me that he hadn't shown this much interest in anything since he had learned of that old HAARP experiment.

I guess that I did love him, I didn't really have much to go on beforehand to compare it to, but I did love Matt. He had this strange notion of waiting until we had been dating a month before we consummated our relationship. I mean it was strange in the fact that in my experience men wanted to jump strait into bed without a bye or leave.

He was special, a keeper.

So it was a shame what happened to him. Especially since it was all my fault…

I mean, I didn't know it would happen! How could I? I didn't know…

But that was no excuse, I should have realised after the first few times when he seemed as drained as I was invigorated, but I didn't see the signs, how could I?

I was happy to finally have someone who was so into me. He didn't seem to care that he was getting weaker by the day. Every time we made love he decreased in strength and vitality, but neither of us cared. We enjoyed every moment of the rush until…

I don't know what happened but he just…stopped. He was still breathing, just about, but he was still, giving no response.

I called out for help and both Rose and Em came running into the room at that vampire fast pace to find me still leaning over Matt as I tried to rouse him.

"What's wrong?" Emmett demanded, looking ready to crack a few skulls.

"I…I…he…is he dead?" I gasped.

Rose came over to me and put a comforting hand on my shoulder before she examined Matt.

"He's not dead." She concluded, "Just unconscious."

"Can you help him?" I asked in hopefulness.

"Not here, we need to get him to a hospital."

"But what can I tell them?" I asked.

"The truth." Rose said.

"What? That we were having sex and he just blanked out on me. He just powered down like something had just sucked all the energy out of him?" I demanded.

"Well, I suppose you could embellish a little." Rose joked.

But I didn't pay any attention to her as I suddenly remembered something my Aunt had said to me two years ago.

"Before we get an ambulance I need to talk to someone else first." I said quickly.

"You know a medical professional other than Carlisle?" Rose asked.

"No. But I know a different professional who might be of more use right now." I said. "I just need to call her. God, I hope this works…"

I took a deep breath, feeling a little silly to be calling out to no one but I did it anyway, "Aunt Ariana I need you!"

Nothing happened for a second and I felt the eyes of the two vampires bore into me, but then the feel of the air changed. It became thick around me and felt charged with static, in fact a few sparks earthed themselves on the metal of the bed frame as particles began to swirl and form together above a spot of clear floor.

Then a woman appeared, small and elfin with wild copper curls that massed around her pointed face and tumbled down her back. Despite the complete change of appearance I knew it was Ariana. Like she told me before, I could tell by the feel of her.

"I knew you would call me." She said sweetly. "Of course I didn't think it would be so soon."

"So soon?" I demanded, "It's been two years."

"That is nothing to our kind." Ariana said offhand.

I snorted.

"Who are you exactly?" Rose demanded.

"Why I am Ariana little vampire. A true immortal. Something that can live beyond the imagining of even an 'immortal' like you. You are nothing to me little girl, even with your venom coated fangs. Know that I am greater than you can ever dream of being."

"I don't care about that." Rose snapped. "I just want to know what exactly it is that you want with our friend?"

"I only want to help her." Ariana said in a hurt voice.

"Well you've got a funny way of showing it." Rose countered. "Coming in here and talking down to Nikki when she's in great distress."

"Ooooh, such passion vampire, I would much like to harvest that." Ariana declared as she gave Rose a speculative look.

Emmett growled and stood in between them.

"Easy there big guy." Ariana said cheerfully, tapping his arm. "I don't do vampires, at least not anymore."

"Look! Enough of this!" I snapped. "I called you because I think I might be in trouble."

"What kind of trouble?" Ariana asked, looking suddenly serious.

"I think I killed my boyfriend." I whined.

"What?" Ariana asked, looking a little confused.

I motioned toward the still form of Matt. Ariana looked down at him and then began to laugh.

"Oh my precious child." She chortled, drawing me into her arms, "You have not killed him, merely wore him out. I think you've been having a bit too much fun. He will be out for a day or two, then he'll be back to normal."

"A day or two?" I asked.

"Yes, it will give you enough time to get out of town." Ariana said pleasantly/

"But I can't just leave him!" I exclaimed.

"Do you think he'll want you after you sucked the life out of him?" She asked in condescending tones.

"But I didn't…"

"You did." Ariana said simply. "It is how we True Immortals feed. Lucky for you, you have yet to leave your first mortality so you did not take his."

"Meaning?"

"If you had been like me you would most likely have killed the boy. You really must learn how to control yourself." She said the latter as if she was telling me something she had told me lots of times before.

"Control myself? I don't even know what I did." I pointed out.

Ariana looked thoughtful a moment.

"Sometimes we act on instinct, our bodies tell us what to do and we obey. Tell me my dear, did you kiss him as he reached his climax?"

"I might have done." I said, feeling a little awkward to be discussing such matters with my aunt.

"Did you? I need to know for certain."

"I did." I admitted.

"Because you felt the need to. When you heard the stutter of his heart and felt the tightening of his body as his breath caught in his throat for that moment of the little death."

I nodded; I couldn't compete with that description.

"That is why you drew on his essence. If you wish to…" Ariana paused as if she were bracing herself to utter a vulgar word. "Have sex with lower beings for the pleasure but not the feed then you must not put your lips anywhere near their body as they climax, no matter how badly you feel the urge."

"No kissing during sex? I think I can handle that." I declared.

"Good, because you may need to." Ariana said firmly. "If you insist on living out your first life here then it is one of the things you must take into consideration. This is the one and only life you have where you may mate with the mortals of this world without fearing the repercussions that befell your mother."

"What did happen to her?"

"She is been restricted to the outer realm for a million years."

"A million years!" I gasped. "Why as long as that?"

"Because we are immortal, truly immortal, there is no way to end us and therefore we must seek out the most fitting punishment. Our people have found that a million years is the minimum for evolution to take its toll on the sentient races, to bring it into a new era where it barely resembles it's predecessor. To put it another way, by the time your mother is allowed to manifest on this plane once more the shape of the humans will be so different that she will not be fooled into an attraction and produce another half breed."

"Gee, thanks Aunt Ariana, you sure know how to make a girl feel special." I grumbled.

"Really Daegar…"

"…Nikki…"

"…There is no need to feel threat from me. I am your Aunt Ariana and I will see you through this little ordeal. Soon you will leave behind this mortal coil and choose to join us in the Outer Place. I know that you feel attached to this world, but it will dissipate once you realise your true potential. Until that day I will assist you as you set out on this silly notion that this world is of any worth."

"I get that you wanna help me, but what do I do about Matt. Is he really gonna be out for two days?" I asked, trying to change the subject.

"He will most likely remain unconscious for that length of time. My advice is to move on before he recovers."

"But I have a life here. I don't want to move on!" I pointed out.

"Then there is a second option, but I warn you it is much more difficult than the first."

"Just tell me what I have to do."

"There is a discipline amongst our kind that can take years to master unless one is truly gifted in this area, then the person can perform it with little knowledge whatsoever."

"What is it?" I asked.

"If you are truly your mother's daughter then you will feel at home whilst performing what is crudely known as the 'mind magics'. I believe that you are capable and if so all you need do is take lover boy out to some secluded cabin or such and implant in his mind the most perfect two days of his life. Then when he comes around he will be less likely to be alarmed."

"That sounds like a great plan, but there's two problems I can see."

Ariana gave me a questioning look.

"How the hell do I do this and where exactly am I supposed to do this? I don't exactly have a log cabin hidden up my sleeve." I pointed out.

"We do." Rose said quickly.

"You do?" I asked astonished, turning to them.

"We use it when we go on the hunt." She explained. "And if we're feeling a little more frisky than usual." She added with a suggestive grin.

"So it's a love shack." I concluded. "That'll be perfect."

Rose smiled and I smiled back before returning my attention to Ariana.

"Ok. So the place is sorted out. Now how do we do this mind magic stuff?"

"Let us get to the cabin first and I will tell you." Ariana promised. "Do you have some form of transportation?"

"I have a car." I said. "But I don't know where the cabin is."

"We can drive." Rose stated.

"Are you sure?" I asked.

"I wouldn't have offered if I wasn't." She replied simply.

"What I am to teach Daegar…"

"…Nikki…"

"…is secret and cannot be heard by mortal ears." Ariana stated.

"Don't worry. We have no intention of waiting around. How will Nikki convince Matt that they shared a dirty weekend if we're there gawping? So Em and I will run home. It will take us minuets and it'll be nice to have the place to ourselves for a change."

I smiled at Rose in thanks.

"Very well. Take us to this cabin of yours." Ariana instructed.

"With pleasure." Rose said through her teeth.

We bundled Matt into some clothes while Emmett went to bring the car around to the doors. He was a blur as he picked Matt up and carried him out to the car. We followed behind quickly; I was carrying a holdall that Rose had quickly packed with a few weekend necessities.

Then with Ariana and me in the back propping Matt up on either side and Rose in the front with Em, we set off for wherever this cabin was.

It was deep in the woods and I was sure I never would have found it, even with directions and a map, but Emmett seemed to know the route well. As we travelled deeper into the mountains and the trees I hoped like hell that I would be able to find my way back if I was able to do this 'mind magic' that Ariana had suggested.

Emmett carried Matt into the cottage when we arrived and turned on the lights as the rest of us piled in. After a few words of good-bye and Rose had handed me the relevant keys, Rose and Em left.

"Ok." I said, when I felt that they would have gone a safe distance away. "What do you want me to do?"

"First we must lay him down on the floor. Connection to the earth helps." She said, as she pulled aside a coffee table and lifted a rug.

Then she indicated for me to take his feet. I did so while she grabbed Matt under shoulders and lowered him to the floor. I wished I'd taken the head end when it became clear that she wasn't being as gentle as she could have been. I winced slightly when Matt's head bumped onto the floor and I preyed that he wouldn't have a lump there.

"Then we position him properly." She said and proceeded to show me how he was to be positioned, flat on his back with his palms resting against the floor.

"Now sit there." She said, indicating the area to the left of his head, "And I will guide you through this."

I sat down as Ariana sat opposite and I folded my legs just as she did.

"Now hold your hands out like this." She instructed, as she held her hands out over Matt's head about a metre above it.

I did the same.

"Palms down." Ariana said and I turned my hands. "Now close your eyes."

I obeyed.

"Now, mind magic is one of the harder disciplines that our kind may learn, however there are those of us for whom it comes easy. Our family are especially skilled at it, however it may be more difficult for you since you are mortal."

"But I thought you said I was a True Immortal?" I stated, opening my eyes.

"When you die. But right now you are still…human?"

I nodded my head.

"And you will be this until you leave this body behind. Of course you will find that you differ from other humans in that you are able to shape the world around you and that your life span will be considerably different, but for the time being you are mortal."

"Oh."

"Now close your eyes."

I closed my eyes once more.

"Now see." She whispered.

I went to open my eyes.

"Keep your eyes closed."

"But how can I…"

"You can see. See like a True Immortal. See everything around you how it is truly meant to be seen. All the flowing energies that make up the multiverse, how nothing is solid, it's all liquid, flowing, spinning, affecting each other. There are only us, the True Immortals who are solid, we are rocks in the flow of the river. When we go to the Outer Place, we are up on the land and we affect nothing, but when placed in the stream the flow changes. Usually in small insignificant ways, but put the pebble in the right place and you can change the course of the entire river."

As she spoke I could see this flow of energy and feel everything she spoke of. I could sense the flow of energies that swirled around us, and even though I was a part of the swirl I also knew there was a bit of me that could be separated from everything else, just like Ariana. Matt however was a part of the swirl, distinguishable, but irremovable.

The swirl could be changed because mortals' perceptions were different. I knew what I had to do in order to change the perception Matt had of this weekend. I don't know how I did exactly, I didn't physically move, but I did move on some other level to change the stream that flowed into Matt and I knew that now he had the memory of the best naughty weekend he'd ever had, and ever would again.

"Now you must pull back slowly or you will undo what you have done, or possibly cause irreparable damage."

I concentrated on moving slowly out of the flow and when I was sure that I was only affecting me I opened my eyes. The vision with my eyes seemed garish and rough compared to what I had just experienced. I sighed and dropped my arms, sagging slightly in relief. I felt drained, but happy.

"I am impressed Daegar." Ariana said with a smile. "From now on I will call you Elharia, the weaver of minds."

"I'd much rather you call me Nikki." I murmured.

"But you will not keep your mortal name when you come to the Outer Place." Ariana said.

"Maybe, but while I'm here on Earth I would like to be called Nikki."

"If that is your wish Nikki."

"It is Aunt Ariana."

"So be it." Ariana said with a firm nod of her head. "I think you've earned the right to chose your name. That was perfect, laughably so for your first time. Are you sure you haven't done anything like this before?"

"Not that I know of."

"Then you truly are Elharia, for no one, not even your mother is so gifted. It is a shame you want to remain here because there is so much fun we could have on other worlds."

"Maybe in the future, but I'd like to live this life out first. How long do these bodies last, eighty, ninety years at the most? What is that to a True Immortal."

"Cheeky little Nikki, throwing my words back at me." Ariana said with a smile. "We will be great companions."

"I can't wait to see the other worlds. But after I live out this life." I said firmly.

"I understand. You are attached to your flesh. All half bloods are in their first life."

"Ok. So now that I've done the mind whammy on him what do I do now?" I asked.

"You wait." She replied.

"Wait?"

"Wait the two days until he wakes and then you can travel back. Come on, I'll help you transfer him to the bed."

"Ok." I said, and I stood and made sure that I took him under the shoulders this time.

We found the bedroom after the second try and placed him on an enormous bed that looked almost too extravagant for a little cabin in the middle of the woods. This was definitely one of those lavish types of cabin that millionaires had in movies rather than what you'd expect someone to use as a base when they're hunting.

"I will go now Nikki, but remember, if you need any help I am only a call away."

I nodded.

"Oh, and don't tell any of the…humans what you are. The vampires knowing is bad enough, but they depend on secrecy as much as we do."

"Why can't the humans know?"

"Because it is the rules." Ariana said firmly, and then disappeared.

I shrugged then went to have a look around the cabin. I was feeling hungry but there didn't appear to be anything to eat. Great, I was going to starve for two days; I wished that Ariana had said something sooner, or that I'd thought about it. After all, why would vampires have food in their secret love nest? It wasn't like when the Cullens lived in Kodiak and they had food delivered to keep up appearances. This was in the middle of nowhere and the occasional occupants could track their own food.

I decided to bring the things in from the car, at least it would take my mind off things and they needed to be brought in. It would look odd to Matt if we had left all our things in the car.

I brought everything in and began to look through the bags to see what Rose had packed. I almost phoned her in that moment to thank her for thinking ahead. I might not have thought about food, but Rose had. Ok, so what she'd packed was the contents of my fridge and some cans from the cupboard, but it was food.

I spent the two days mostly watching TV. I didn't know why they bothered having one here, but I guess it completed the look of the place if someone broke in, like the unneeded kitchen and bathroom facilities. I had a lot of time to muse over this fact while I waited.

When I thought Matt wouldn't be long waking up, I climbed into the bed with him and snuggled up against him. I must have drifted to sleep because the next thing I knew the sun was shining through the window, glinting sunbeams off the dust motes as Matt stirred.

I craned my head up to find him looking down at me with a slightly confused but also satisfied smile.

"Morning." He croaked.

"Morning." I whispered, waiting for him to ask where we were.

"I love this place." He said as he rubbed my arm and kissed the top of my head. "I'm glad your friends talked us in to coming up here, it's been just…wow."

"I'm glad you like it." I murmured, wishing that I'd experienced this weekend that was making him look so satisfied and fulfilled.

"Yeah. But do we really have to go back?"

"We have classes." I reminded him.

"Shame." He sighed and he kissed the top of my head once more. "I wish we could lie like this for ever."

"That would be nice." I agreed.

"There's something wrong." He said suddenly.

"What?" I asked, sitting up as a sudden wave of guilt and fear washed through me.

"Did I…did I do something wrong?" He asked.

"What?" I asked, frowning slightly.

"Did I do something to upset you?"

"No. Why?"

"It's just…something seems a little…something's wrong and I can't quite put my finger on it."

"Everything's fine." I assured him.

"Hmmm."

"It is. Really." I said, placing my fingers beneath his chin to draw his head up. "Why wouldn't it be?" I asked before kissing him. "I'm just sad this weekend has to end." I added, feeling a pit of despair open in my stomach as I realised how easy I could lie to the person I loved.

Did this mean that I didn't love him? If I did then I'd tell him the truth, no matter what Ariana said. But I also knew that I couldn't tell him what I was, and if I loved him shouldn't I let him go? I can't go through my entire life keeping this secret from him. It wouldn't be fair on either of us.

It was in that moment that I knew I had to end things with Matt. A month later we were through, and even though I felt torn I knew it was for the best. He was miserable for six months, but then he met Mae, a student who had come from China to study, they hit it off and they were good together. Are good together, they married two years later and they're expecting their first child soon.

I keep up with them on Face Book, but I can't see them in person. For one thing I don't seem to age. I know it's only five years since I met the Cullens, but I'm every bit as unchanged as they are. I don't know if this is the different life span that Ariana referred to or something else entirely, who knew.

Life with the Cullens after they finished their schooling was just as interesting. In this time they went off to do separate things for a year before they'd start over again as a family in a new place.

I was staying with Carlisle and Esme in Tacoma when she got a phone call that made her ecstatic. It took a moment or two for Carlisle to decipher that Renesmee, the daughter of Edward and Bella, wanted to meet up with them soon, because she thought she was expecting.

It wasn't her first child either, she had a teenage daughter but for reasons they never went into, they couldn't see her at the moment. All I knew was that it had something to do with the Volturi, who were like vampire royalty, and how they weren't allowed to find out about the granddaughter because they'd want to kill her or run experiments on her or something because of who her father was.

I stayed behind when they went to meet up with Renesmee since it was a reunion of sorts. Besides, Carlisle was going to be there in the capacity of a doctor since for obvious reasons Renesmee was unable to attend a normal anti-natal clinic. I would have been in the way and it would have been much too personal for me to be there when I didn't know the woman.

Edward and Bella turned up on the Wednesday morning in order to go with Carlisle and Esme. When they arrived back in the evening they were all excited and Bella looked the happiest I had ever seen her.

"So she's pregnant." I guessed.

"Yes." Bella said happily. "The baby should be here in May."

"That's brilliant." I said.

"It is." Bella agreed, a grin stretching her youthful face. "To think, I'll be a grandma of two."

"Wow. That's like…difficult to remember at times." I said.

"We need a plan of action now." Carlisle said brusquely, "For Nessie will need us close at hand over the coming months, however we must regulate our distance because she doesn't want to get Essie's hopes up."

"Yes." Edward agreed. "Besides, if she knew we were this close there would be nothing to stop her from coming to visit us."

"That doesn't sound too bad." Bella said with a sigh.

"It would be a great pleasure to have Essie visit, but you know we can't risk her life."

"I know." Bella said sadly.

"We will come to some arrangement, however I think we have a clear month where we will not be needed, therefore I suggest that we go off and do whatever it was we had planned to do separately and then we can come to reside here in time for Nessie's three month scan." Carlisle suggested.

"That sounds good to me." Bella said.

"There is one problem." Esme said.

"What?" The others asked her.

"What about Nikki?"

They all looked at me and I shrugged.

"I'll be fine." I said, "I'll stay here and check out the Seattle night life."

"Are you sure?" Esme asked, sounding concerned.

"Yeah. As long you all have a good time I'll be happy." I assured her.

Esme smiled and hugged me before she went off to pack. I busied myself around the house while they prepared to leave. I couldn't help that flutter of longing, that I could have someone there ready to go away with me, but I couldn't risk anyone with a permanent relationship.

After they had all left I decided to hit the town, if I wasn't allowed to have a true love I could at least pretend for a couple of hours. The next three days were a bit of a blur, especially Friday, although I did decide to turn in early.

The shrill ring of the phone cut through my head sometime in the early hours of Saturday morning and I cursed the fact that I lived with creatures who didn't need sleep as I struggled to find the receiver.

"Hello. Nikki speaking." I said, slurring a little.

"Oh! Sorry, I must have the wrong number." The voice on the other end said quickly.

"Are you looking for Carlisle or Esme?" I asked since this line was a private one and not one they gave to just anybody.

The other end was silent for a moment.

"If so you got the right number but they're not here at the moment."

"When will they be back?"

"In about four weeks time."

"How long? Why? Is there anyway to get hold of them?" The girl on the other end sounded panicked.

"Not really. They've gone off on a second honeymoon so that means Isle Esme and you know we won't reach them there." I said with a roll of my eyes.

"Oh dear." The person on the other end murmured.

"Hey, why don't you leave a message? I'll ring round the others, one of them is bound to know how to contact them in case of an emergency."

There was a thoughtful silence on the other end of the phone.

"I would be most grateful." She said eventually. "This is Renesmee and something awful has happened to…to…"

"To Essie?" I prompted, having a feeling that her hesitation was because she was trying to invent a name that the others would recognise without giving too much away to someone who might be a threat.

"Yes. Something terrible has happened to Essie and I need a doctor to look at her. Please, if you intend to ring them do it now. I don't know what to do, she's still, not moving and not seeing and she tried to attack the pack. If you can't do it now let me know and I'll ring around."

"No, no. Don't worry, I'll do it. I'm up now anyway. You just go take care of your daughter and I'll let everyone know."

"Thank you." Nessie said with a sigh, "But not Mom and Dad." She added quickly, "I don't want to worry them until I'm sure how bad this is."

"So who shall I call?" I asked.

"Could you…Do you have a number for Masen?"

"I don't know. I'll have to check." I said and I grabbed the little address book and flipped to the 'M's, "Would that be 'Masen and Holly'?"

"Yes. Shoot. If you get hold of him make sure Holly isn't with him. I could do with my friend right now but if that bitch is with him…"

"I won't tell him a thing." I assured her.

"Thank you." Nessie said, sounding relieved. "I just know I couldn't handle a confrontation with her right now but I need somebody here. I don't want my family to know. I don't want to worry them unless I have to."

"Ok, but you really should tell them. I know I'd be pretty pissed if my daughter didn't tell me that my granddaughter was ill."

"I know. I'll let them know in a day or two, once I'm certain what's wrong. But until then I'd rather not worry them."

"Well, it's your call I guess. I'll give Masen a ring and let you know what happens."

"Thank you." She said.

"No problamo." I assured her, before we said goodbye and hung up.

I phoned Masen's number and he answered.

I had to think of a tactful way to ask him about Holly, but then I figured he didn't really know me and since this was an emergency I could be as direct as I wanted.

"Are you still with Holly?" I asked.

"No." He answered. "Who is this anyway?"

"I'm calling on behalf of Renesmee, she said that there's something wrong with Essie and she'd like her best friend there for support, but not if you're still with the bitch. I don't know what's happened there but Nessie sounded pretty pissed about her."

"Wouldn't you be pissed at the person who tried to kill your daughter?"

"I sure would. Anyway, Nessie wants you to go to her. Also don't tell any of the family yet. It's not my place to say, but she doesn't want to worry anyone else until she is sure of what's going on."

"Ok. I'll phone her now. Find out what's happening." Masen assured me.

"Thank you." I said, "Bye."

I hung up the phone and went back to bed.

The following Thursday Esme and Carlisle returned along with Bella and Edward to say that Nessie had been in touch with them to say that Essie was ill, but then she'd phoned to say that she had woken up and she was much better now. Since they didn't want to taunt Essie since they had to keep away from Forks as much as possible they had decided to come here instead. Rose and Em arrived a few hours later with the same story.

We were all waiting for Alice and Jasper, but they didn't show. Alice phoned around two in the morning to say that they were at the cottage with Essie. The others were a little unhappy about this but it was too late for them to do anything, although Carlisle did advise Alice to leave as soon as conveniently possible. Alice promised that she and Jasper would leave by Sunday and this was met with relief although it was clear that Bella and Edward were annoyed and angry, Essie was their grandchild and I'm sure they would have liked to have seen her too.

But Alice and Jasper didn't stay until Sunday, Alice phoned Saturday morning to say that something had come up and her and Jasper should be home by the evening.

When they arrived back they had a lot to report on Essie, and any jealousy that Bella or Edward may have harboured was quickly dissipated with news of their granddaughter's progress.

"And while we were there I checked in with the Hannigans, seems they've become good friends with our Essie. She shares most of her classes with them. I think she likes them, but she pretends they annoy her. I just wish I could have told her that they know her secret, but you know Jake." Alice said with a little frown.

"Going about it all heavy handed?" Bella asked.

"Yes. I don't see the problem with Essie knowing they know, it would make her life easier, and believe me the girl does not need anymore troubles. I just wish I could have stayed to help out with her friend, but I didn't think it would be such a good idea being in such close quarters with a human." Alice said, "Although to be honest I think you would have handled it Jazz."

"It was better safe than sorry." He conceded.

All the vampires nodded their heads in agreement. It always seemed to come back to this self-doubt but they'd never bit a human since I'd been with them. But I guess the vampire thirst was something I couldn't understand at all, it was something you couldn't begin to understand unless you went through it yourself.

I excused myself at this point and went to my room. This was a family/vampire discussion and it didn't really concern me.

It was close to Halloween one day when I noticed Alice going around the house with a video camera. I got the gist that she was making a video of birthday messages to send to Essie. I went to make myself scarce as they gathered in the living room but Alice called me back and said that I had to be in the video.

I didn't see why, it wasn't as if I knew Essie or that she knew me and I didn't like to intrude on family things. But Alice insisted and so with a reluctant sigh I sat on the floor while the others gathered around in their pairs. I smiled widely and wished Essie a happy birthday along with everyone else. Once Alice said we were done I disappeared to my room to spend a bit of me time.

**

* * *

**

Thanks for reading

**Please review**

**Gemma x**


	7. Chapter 6 A Shot at a Normal Life

**Disclaimer: Twilight is the property of Stephenie Meyer**

**This is dedicated to Noble, Nikki and Minschen**

* * *

The Cullens were taking this whole me being part of their family a lot more serious than I had ever thought. This would be the first time for them to spend Christmas with their absent family members in a long while and they wanted me to join them. It was flattering, but also nerve wracking to be thrust into this group of peoples I didn't know. Well I guess I did know the Hannigans who were staying in the Cullens' old house and had agreed to share their Christmas with us, but I wouldn't know anyone else.

I was obviously more than nervous when we reached the big white house in Forks. The others ghosted inside immediately while I lingered over grabbing my suitcases.

"I'll help you." Carlisle said kindly, taking one of the cases.

"Thanks." I said as I grabbed the other one.

"You have nothing to fear." He assured me.

I smiled to show willing, but I didn't feel all that brave. I would have preferred to sit this one out, but I was here now and there was no turning back. I followed Carlisle in, although he was fast in his haste to see his family. I wasn't too worried; at least it gave him time to greet Essie before I got there.

"Merry Christmas Grandpa." I heard a girl say as I stepped into the room.

The girl was a tall Native American with bronze hair like Edward's. As I stepped closer she dropped her head into her hand and winced as if she was in pain. That's when I saw the power that flowed through her and I realised I was interfering with it.

"Sorry, I didn't realise you were so powerful." I said, as I wondered what to do. "Hang on a mo." I said and looked into the energies and I saw how I had to alter them.

The girl who I assumed was Essie blinked a few times as if she was trying to make sure the interference had gone before she looked at me with a combination of confusion and suspicion.

"Is that better?" I asked.

"Yes." She answered. "And what happened?"

"It's a long…boring story…you don't want to know." I said because Aunt Ariana had told me not to tell anyone else what I was regardless of the situation. "Just know that I have, yes, I have a power too and if I forget it messes with the power of others." I said quickly, but it was true for the most part. I smiled and held out my hand. "Hi, I'm Nikki Fey, you must be Essie."

"Yeah." She said as she shook my hand back. "And who are you exactly?"

"I'm a friend of the Cullens." I said simply while I wondered why they'd never mentioned me to her. Not that I thought I should be known by all of their friends and family, but surely she had the right to know who was coming to spend Christmas with her? "And they wanted me to meet their exceptional granddaughter. And Alice seems adamant that I should meet your friends too." I added with a shrug.

Essie frowned, looking worried.

"Don't worry, I know all about you. That you're the only vampire-wolf…for the time being. And I also know that apart from those two." I said, pointing out the two men I assumed to be Jake and Billy, Essie's father and other grandfather, "Everyone in this room is a vampire. Well I mean I'm not, but I know the secret."

"That's good, cause I'm not very good at the whole covering it up." She said with a laugh.

"I know, tell me about it. If it wasn't for the fact that nobody even noticed that I existed a lot more people would be in on the secret." I confessed. "Oh well, which one's my room?"

"This way Nikki." Marlin said.

I was happy to see a familiar face and also an out from this awkward conversation.

"Hey Marlin girl, how are you?" I greeted her brightly as I walked toward her.

"As well as ever, and you?"

"I'm great. So anything new with you?" I asked as I picked up one of my other suitcases.

"I have a boyfriend now." Marlin said as we began to climb the stairs.

"Good for you girl. You'll have to introduce us." I said cheerfully as I followed her across the landing.

"Of course. Hopefully you will meet him tomorrow. I am trying to convince his Auntie to come for Christmas dinner with us. I would like to spend tomorrow with him but it would be wrong to ask him to spend the day apart from his only family."

"Then I hope his auntie accepts. I'm interested to see what kind of guy you're in to."

"You will like Will very much." She promised as she led me into a room that was decorated in purple. "You can use my room while you stay here."

"Thanks." I said with a smile as we deposited my cases inside.

"There is enough space in the closet if you need to hang anything up." Marlin said, opening the closet door to show me. "And there is a bathroom through here." She said, opening the other door.

I nodded my head.

"I'll leave you to get settled in." She said brightly. "I wish to catch up with my old friends the Cullens."

"See you later." I replied.

Marlin nodded her head then left.

The rest of Christmas Eve seemed to fly by, culminating in a movie night. I went up to bed not long after Essie and Ebony, not that I was being made to go like they were. I went to sleep wondering at the fact that even Marlin and Tobias, two people I thought would be single for eternity, now seemed to have someone. I wanted that kind of companionship, but how could I do that to someone?

I awoke in the morning when I heard two pairs of feet running past the bedroom door; it was Essie and Ebony going to wake up Jake and Nessie. I got up and pulled on my dressing gown before I went to join the others downstairs as Jake was asking them if Ebony and Essie could come down now.

I found a place to sit while the others crowded around the bottom of the stairs to greet the two youngest members of their family.

We exchanged gifts and Essie seemed genuinely surprised that I'd got her something, but I'd bought something for everyone, it was only right. I bet she would have got me something if she'd known I'd be coming. I was rather amused by Rose's gift, as if I needed any help in attracting the boys? It was keeping them that was the problem.

After opening the gifts I went to get dressed, then I thought I'd better make some headway in getting to know Essie since I'd got to know Renesmee a little yesterday. I liked her idea of a sandwich and I was amused to note that Ebony seemed to be copying her every move. She'd done it to me in the past, although not quite as intensely as she was copying Essie, but I put it down to the fact that Essie was with Tobias.

We built a snowman and it was a little unnerving that Essie went out in the snow in just shorts and t-shirt. Even though the Cullens didn't feel the effects of the weather they still tried to dress accordingly. Essie didn't bother and neither did Ebony, who was dressed only in a party dress. I didn't make any comment on the clothes thing as we built a snowman together. Rose, Alice and Bella came to join us and it was going well until Emmett knocked it down.

Then the vampires decided to play tag so I went to help Esme in the kitchen.

Everyone had returned by the time Esme served dinner. We ate, a lot and spent the rest of the evening lazing around. I finally turned in for the night around eleven and I slept soundly until morning. Everyone was heading out hunting so I was left to my own devices for the day. I spent it going through the Hannigans video collection while I vegged on the sofa.

I was already in bed by the time they returned, but I knew that Alice had planned a big day out for us girls the next day and I wanted to catch my sleep.

On the 27th I dressed and got all my swimming gear ready. I went down to the kitchen and ate breakfast with Ebony. She was in a chirpy mood, excited about our day out. I must admit that I was excited to be doing something and it gave me the chance to get to know Essie and her friends since Alice was so adamant that I should.

Renesmee and Essie arrived with two girls who were identical, even if one was slightly taller than the other. They were introduced as Sammie and Susie Uley, they were twins.

With the brief introductions out of the way we headed out to this old leisure centre that Alice had rented for us for the day. It was fun to see the vampires and the werewolves let go of their human façade and not have to worry if they moved too fast or in impossible ways.

I think I got to know Nessie, Essie and the Twins rather well that day and I felt we were firm friends by the time we were heading home. I felt a little sad that they didn't invite me down, but then again they didn't know me that well. I spent the night up in Marlin's room looking through some magazines and updating my online profiles.

I spent the next morning talking to Tobias and Marlin, having a little catch-up with the Hannigans since it had been two years since I'd last seen them. As the conversation drifted more into the realm of girl talk Tobias made his excuses to leave so Marlin and I bid him goodbye then carried on talking.

We were having a nice conversation until Will came up to see Marlin. They sat with me for a while but it was clear that they wanted to be alone, so I told them to just go. Marlin gave me a thankful smile before she led Will away. I sighed and began flicking through the channels until I found something that didn't require a lot of concentration to follow and picked up one of my magazines.

It wasn't long before the door opened again and Ebony returned with Essie close behind her. Ebony went straight off upstairs, but Essie came and sat by me as she asked where everyone was.

I told her that Marlin was with Will and jokingly that Tobias was in his room pining for her, although he probably was. Essie seemed angry that Tobias had left me on my own so I told her the full version of events.

Then we were suddenly talking about my relationship status and in desperation I tried to lay back on her. I said about how unbelievable it was that Tobias had chosen to settle down, how he'd put her before Marlin, and Essie explained to me the unusual concept of imprinting.

"That's what imprinting does. It changes the focus of your world until they are what matters. You know you belong to that person and that they belong to you and you'll always be bound together and nothing and no-one can get in-between you and break that bond."

"So you have no choice in the matter?" I asked, feeling a little perturbed by the whole idea.

"You could try and resist, but you won't really want to. Besides, do you really get a choice when you fall in love without any magical or mystical reason? At least this way I know my Tobias will never stray, that I will always be the centre of his world and he will always be the centre of mine. I'm secure in that knowledge which means I can open myself up completely to him without fear of betrayal." She said with a shrug.

She had a point, a very good point. You couldn't help who you fell in love with. I was just glad that I wasn't really part of this world to worry about love or imprinting, I'd hate for that to happen to anyone. Imagine being stuck with someone who couldn't give you a decent sex life unless you fancied having your life drained away? Of course I couldn't explain all that to Essie so I said, "Actually, imprinting doesn't sound that bad when you put it like that."

Tobias appeared then and I was waiting for them to be all gooey like Marlin and Will had been, but somehow they managed to convey the deep bond between them without being all lovey-dovey. Like Essie explained, they knew they belonged together so they didn't have to keep reassuring each other. We spoke for hours and I was starting to count Essie as a friend. I wondered if I'd be allowed to keep in contact with her once we left or if the Cullens wouldn't want me to because it might put her in danger.

The next few days were filled with activity as I was roped into shopping for party supplies with Marlin and Alice. I didn't mind so much, but it did start to grate a little when we ended up buying the tablecloth that they had both declined three hours before. I decided that I wouldn't be there to help them with the decorating, they were both too much of perfectionists and they'd drive me mad…

It was New Years Eve in the year 2048, tomorrow would dawn to 2049, was it right to feel old at 25? I mean, I had the potential to live forever, but right now I was feeling a little rundown. I guess it was all the couply things going on around me. Before I had always looked forward to visiting the Hannigans since they were all single apart from Evan and Sarrin.

Well now they all had someone, apart from Ebony, but since she was only thirteen it didn't really count. I couldn't have anybody, at least not for long.

On top of everything the party Marlin and Alice, or Hurricane Malice as I liked to call them now, was going to include the vampires and more of these Quileutes. I'd only met Essie and the Twins and they seemed ok, but tonight I would be introduced to the whole pack and I was feeling a little nervous.

And I really didn't want to be bossed around by Hurricane Malice today so I grabbed the quilt from the bed and a hot cup of coffee and escaped out onto the porch. I sat down on the cold wood and pulled the quilt around me as I sipped the coffee. The coffee helped to warm me a little, but it was still bitterly cold.

I looked up at the sound of an engine and I recognised Essie's Escalade as she pulled to a stop on the gravel at the foot of the steps. Essie got out and gave me a friendly smile with undertones of a frown.

"What are you doing out here?" she asked, sounding concerned.

"Hiding from Hurricane Malice." I said with a laugh and her frown deepened.

"Marlin and Alice have teamed up on this party and they've become unbearable in their quest to create the perfect do. They're almost like one creature so I combined their names, Malice." I explained.

"Really?" She observed looking suddenly thoughtful, and then a wide grin spread across her face. "Well I came up to see if they needed any help, but I guess I'll just get in the way. So, you wanna come hide out down on the Res?"

"They can't go down there." I said, and I smiled as I realised what a perfect hiding place it would be. Not to mention the fact that I was curious to see what La Push was like for myself. "I like that plan."

"Come on then." Essie said, ghosting back to the Escalade, and she motioned for me to join her with her hand.

I gulped back my coffee and placed the cup near the rail. I pulled the blanket around me since it was so cold and got in on the passenger side. I looked at Essie and shivered as she pulled off. She was wearing shorts and t-shirt and I remembered back to Christmas day when she'd been dressed much the same to go out in the snow.

La Push turned out to be a village of scattered houses hemmed in by the ocean on one side and the forest on the other. We passed through what must have been the tourist area around the resort and carried on into the proper part of the village.

Essie lived quite deep within the community; her little red house was being slowly encroached on by the forest. We didn't enter the house when we parked up, instead she lead me around the side of the house to what appeared to be a plastic door-way set into a tangle of weeds.

She pushed open the door and the lights flickered on to reveal a comfy place within. Essie and her friends had obviously made this into their own little space. I liked that.

"Cosy." I observed and I sat down in the armchair nearest the door.

I looked up to find that Essie was giving me a strange look. She blinked then smiled before she pulled her phone from her pocket.

"I'll just call the gang, tell them to come over." She said lightly.

"Oh the Twins." I stated, hoping to show that I'd been paying attention.

"Yeah, and Harry." She replied, almost too low for me to hear.

She spoke in a fluting language that I had to assume was Quileute. I thought it was a little rude considering I couldn't understand her. But then I thought that maybe they used their language all the time when they were here on the Res and who was I tell them not to?

"So, how do you like living with a bunch of vampires?" Essie asked me, and her grin returned.

"It's different. But it's nice to be noticed."

"You said something like that before, what were you invisible or something?"

"Or something." I said with a smile.

Before we could comment further the Twins clattered in slightly breathless and sat down on the old shabby looking sofa. They turned to the door, as did Essie with an air of expectancy. I had a feeling that I wasn't in possession of whatever script they were working off at the moment.

The Twins gave me a very distracted 'hi' while they continued to watch the door. I figured that there was something important to do with it so I turned my attention to it as well. As I looked to the door the most handsome man I had ever seen stepped through. I felt my heart quicken as he filled the place with his huge form.

So tall and muscular, his hair cut a little haphazardly but it seemed to suit him. His dark brown eyes flickered around the interior until they alighted on the Twins and he grinned widely. I thought I'd melt!

"Why didn't you wait for me?" He demanded.

"Alpha's orders." Susie said with a grin.

"Huh?" The man looked confused.

"Harry." Essie said, calling his attention to her.

"Yes Edella?" He asked brightly.

"This is Nikki. Nikki this is my Beta, Harry."

"Hi, I'm Harry." Harry said, holding out his hand to me and he turned a smile on me that was even better than the one he'd used before.

My heart was doing ninety to the dozen as I rose to my feet to return his greeting.

"Pleased to meet you." I said taking his hand and looking boldly into his eyes to hide the fact that he made me feel so nervous. Then I felt, I don't know, it was a strange pull, as if suddenly there was only one focus for me in this world.

He was drawing me in, this tall god like man and I was helpless as he placed his muscular arms around me and drew me in to his chest and crushed his lips to mine. I melted against him, my hand flying up to cup his cheek as the kiss continued long and deep. I lost all sense of place by the time he released me, all I could do was look at him breathless for a moment.

"Wow." I managed to gasp. "So is that how you Quileute boys always greet the ladies?"

I heard someone giggle.

"Err…Nikki, I think we need to talk." Essie said quietly.

"About what?" I asked, unable to tear my eyes away from Harry.

"Remember the other day you were asking about Tobias and me and what imprinting was?" She said.

"Yes?" I answered unsurely; I was too lost in Harry to concentrate at the moment.

"Do you feel it?"

Feel what? Then I remembered some of her words, _suddenly only one thing matters_…

"What? But I can't…" I gasped; knowing that it was impossible for nothing should tie me to this world. But when I looked into Harry's eyes I could feel it and there was no denying it. "Oh, well I guess I have." I said wistful in willing defeat and then I kissed him again.

"What do you say Harry?" Essie prompted.

"Thanks." Harry said, barely moving his lips from mine.

"Thanks who?" Essie demanded.

"Thanks Essie." He replied and I had to wonder a little over what that was about.

"Now you remember my name in future." Essie ordered.

"Yes Boss." He murmured, and then we were lost in each other again.

The others left at some point, I couldn't tell you when, all I know is that Harry and I were suddenly alone and I made use of that time. Although we didn't go beyond making out, I really didn't want to put him off from the word go, make him regret imprinting on me. I couldn't go too far with him or I'd end up sucking the life out of him.

Who knows how long we were locked together, but it was the ringer on Harry's phone that reminded us there was an outside world. We broke apart, looking at each other a little sheepishly, after all I hardly knew anything about him and we'd been kissing as if there was no tomorrow. Harry looked at his phone and gave a chuckle.

"I think that's our warning. Essie'll come to drag us to the party in a moment."

"I'd rather stay here." I said stroking his hair.

"Me too." He whispered and pressed his lips to mine, "But we could always find a quiet corner up at the vamp house. I know Essie will bug us until we go up."

I sighed in irritation.

"Ok, I think we can behave ourselves for five minuets." I said.

"I think so." Harry agreed as he kissed me again.

"Come on love birds." Essie called as she came into the shed. "We have a party to get to."

Harry and I pulled away from each other reluctantly before we were herded into the Escalade. We grabbed the back seats and picked up where we left off. I didn't even notice the drive up, only the brief interlude while Harry and I made our way into the house and out into the backyard where we found a quiet corner away from the light and the noise.

We were barely apart all night and for the first time I was truly happy, I felt completely whole, so it seemed a shame I had to head home the next day. We exchanged numbers and e-mail addresses before saying a sad farewell. I wanted to stay here with my wolf man, but I couldn't, not yet.

May couldn't come soon enough...

I rode with Edward and Bella and I think I gave it enough time to be polite before I headed down to the Res to meet up with Harry. We spent all day together mainly getting to know each other between the kissing and stuff. He took me up to the cliff at night and we watched the ocean for a while as his amazing body heat warmed me.

We fell asleep up there and we awoke to the birds singing at dawn. It was at this point we made our way back to Harry's house to have some breakfast. We spent the entire morning entertaining his little sister Portia, and it was starting to get annoying. I don't think it would have bugged me so much if it weren't for the fact that my time here was limited as it was.

After lunch Harry and I headed out into the forest, he said he had something to show me. I was excited and nervous wondering what it could possibly be out here in the woods.

We hiked for an hour or two until we reached a random clearing.

"Ok." He said, "This is the bit where it sometimes goes a little wrong, but you already knew way before you met us, so it shouldn't be such a shock." He rambled.

"What do you want to show me?" I asked. "Your wolf side." I guessed.

He nodded and lowered his head shyly.

"Don't be shy." I said, placing my hand against his cheek, "I'd really like to see your wolf side. I want to know every side of you." I whispered.

Harry nodded his head.

"Ok. Then step back." He said and stepped away from me.

I stepped back feeling curious about the amount of space he needed.

He stopped a hundred yards from me and I watched as he reached down to undo the button on his cut-offs. He stopped and looked up at me, his cheeks darkening in a blush.

I watched for a moment, wondering what was wrong, and then it clicked. He was shy to be naked in front of me. Well I could soon sort that problem out; I pulled off my sweater and gave him an encouraging smile as I stood there in my bra and jeans.

He looked at me in shock for a moment, then shook his head, "That doesn't help one bit." He said in exasperation.

"You shouldn't be nervous in front of me." I said, and I moved toward him. "Doesn't imprints mean we belong together? If we belong together then we're gonna have to get naked at some point."

Harry was shivering slightly as I pressed closer to him.

"Would it help if I…" I trailed off as I moved my fingers slowly across his stomach and toward the button of his pants.

Harry's hands skimmed over my bare arms and our lips briefly brushed before he pulled back slightly and chuckled lowly.

"That might help get me naked." He said in a husky voice, "But it won't be to show you the wolf."

"Well I guess I should go behave." I said, running my fingers down his bare chest before I stepped away and went to retrieve my sweater.

I pulled it on and turned to face him.

He was looking slightly bemused, but I smiled at him in encouragement.

He smiled back then dropped his pants quickly, but before I could see anything he exploded into this enormous wolf. I felt my mouth drop open as I regarded that huge sandy beast that now stood where my boyfriend had.

"That was freaking awesome!" I gasped.

Harry nodded his head and then trotted toward me. When he got close I could appreciate how big he was, more like the size of a carthorse, but definitely a wolf. I placed my hand carefully against his cheek and his eyes closed as I ran my fingers through his soft fur. I moved my hand behind his ear and scratched it a little he let out a contented sound and I embraced him tightly around the neck, noting again the heat of him.

Suddenly I felt the air shiver around me, a bit like when Aunt Ariana does her change trick but not as intense, and his arms encircled me as I was suddenly clinging to a human neck.

He kissed me and I met his kiss as his hand worked it's way under my sweater and then beneath my bra until his hot hand cupped my breast, now that was a strange feeling. I was caught up in the kiss and my hands did what they wanted to do by instinct as they trailed down his body. It was only as I reached the whole groinal area that I suddenly realized what I was about to do.

I pulled away from him quickly, appalled at myself for nearly risking him in that way.

"What's wrong?" He asked, looking hurt and confused.

"We can't." I said. "Not out here. I haven't got protection, have you?"

Harry shook his head.

"Then not yet."

"Ok. We'll wait." Harry said looking at me in concern. "Why are you shaking so much?" He asked stroking my arms.

"I'm trying to fight against instinct." I said with a strained smile.

"More difficult than it looks hey?" He asked with a grin.

"You wouldn't believe." I said with a snort.

"Try me." He said and placed his lips to mine once more.

I laughed and pulled away slightly.

"You do realize you're naked right?"

Harry shrugged his broad shoulders.

"What happened to Mr. Shyness?" I teased.

"He's around here somewhere."

I snorted, "Well you're really not helping my self control."

"I'll put my pants back on if you really want me to." He said.

"I want you to keep them off." I said in a low voice. "But I need you to put them on. For both our sakes."

Harry looked at me for a moment and then he smiled that almost lazy heart-stuttering smile.

"If it's what you need." He assured me and went to retrieve his pants.

I watched as he pulled them on over his lovely butt, the core of me rebelling against this very thing, but I knew I couldn't subject Harry to my powers. I couldn't do that to my Harry.

How gorgeous he looked in just his cut-offs.

I was on him quickly, guiding him to the ground as he pulled me against him. Our lips met in a haphazard kiss, this was for sheer passion not technique. I could feel the rushing through my body as his hands began a tentative exploration of my topography. Harry was, he was new to all this really, but even in exploration he had an instinct for the sweet areas.

I moaned slightly as his supple fingers began to message a particularly sensitive spot. It wasn't a private spot as such, but having it touched sent me into a thrill. I slid my foot up the side of his body as I pushed myself closer to him, wanting to feel more of him. I wanted him to know pleasure.

Without thinking I moved my hand down over his toned abs and worked my way under the band of his cut-offs. He hissed slightly but I looked into his eyes to reassure him as I moved my hand further down until I touched his length.

His pupils dilated and his breath caught as I began to trail my fingers gently against him. Slow and gentle at first but as his breathing increased I increased the rhythm of my hand. I was breathing as heavy as him, caught up in the moment as his big hot hand skimmed down below my pants and I felt him brush against a very sensitive spot.

I let out a moan as his fingers sought to explore a little deeper and he seemed to find just the right point of stimulation that sent a pulsating wave of indescribable pleasure through me. I increased the rate with which I caressed him as his hot fingers sent me into near delirium.

I was nearing the crest, as was he. He pulled me to him with his free hand and kissed me deeply on the lips as our hands still sought the pinnacle of our pleasure. I felt mine in the same moment he shuddered against me. My whimper of a cry was swallowed by his lips against mine as we moved with the vibrations to further stimulate the rush. I was kissing him as much as he was kissing me and I felt that rush of energy as he removed his hand from my panties and placed his arms around my waist to pull me closer to him.

I was revelling in the feeling of just living to take into account the fact that I had my lips against him just after he'd come. It was only as he pulled away slightly to mutter breathlessly, "That was beyond…" that I realised what I had done.

I gasped and pulled away so that I could look him in the face.

"How do you feel?" I asked urgently as I felt the new rush of energy zing around my body.

"Amazing." He said, his smile a little lethargic.

"Do you feel drained at all?" I asked with concern, as I knew I had been revitalised up to a point.

"No. I feel…like I can't wait until we do this properly. If I feel so good now, what will it be like for real?"

"So you don't feel suddenly tired?" I demanded.

"No. Just relaxed." He said in a blissful voice.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. Why?" He asked, suddenly anxious.

"No reason." I said, feeling a little confused. "I just worry a lot." I said, placing my hands either side of his face and kissing him.

We kissed for a long while and I was glad that I hadn't sucked the life out of him, or whatever it was us True Immortals really did.

It was turning to twilight when Harry gasped and asked me what the time was.

"It's nine." I said, checking my watch.

"Shit." Harry gasped.

"What's wrong?"

"I was supposed to be on patrol two hours ago. Essie's gonna be pissed. I'll be in the doghouse for this one for sure." He said, rising to his feet and bringing me up with him. "I'll take you back to the Res and then I'll head out for the border."

"Of course. You got your duty." I said as he held me up in his arms.

"Yeah." He said with a sigh. "We should have started this a different night."

"But we have tomorrow night." I pointed out.

Harry grinned at me.

"You're right. Hold on tight and I'll have you home in a jiffy. I'll go patrol tonight and then tomorrow I'm all yours."

I laughed as he began to run. He was fast, really fast. I'd always wanted to experience the vampire speed and now I finally was with the help of my wolf man. I laughed in exhilaration as the wind whipped at my face and he laughed along with me.

Harry's father Seth, who looked the same age as him, was waiting when we entered; his face was a little worried.

"I know, I know. Essie wants me at the border." Harry said a little defensively.

"Yep. They went ahead."

"On their own?" Harry gasped.

"Three is better than none." Seth pointed out.

"I better go." Harry said quickly. "See you later." He said, and kissed my cheek before he left.

After Harry left Seth looked a little worried for a moment.

"Do you think you could watch Portia for a few minuets?" He asked.

"Sure. What's wrong?"

"Just call it wolfy instincts." He said with a grin before he left the house too.

Portia and I looked at each other.

"So are you Harry's girlfriend now?" She asked.

"Yes." I answered.

"You know he used to like Essie? He used to cry about her and then he liked you. How did that happen?"

"It just did." I said, certain that if she knew about imprinting she wouldn't need to ask me.

Suddenly there was a wolf howl in the distance, followed by another. I jumped slightly, that mournful warning speaking to something deep in my core.

"It's only Harry and Daddy." Portia said with a shrug. "If there's anything bad out there they'll protect us."

"I'm glad to here it." I said with a smile.

"They kill vampires you know." She said authoritive.

"They do?" I asked, trying to humour her.

"Yep. So what are you?"

"I'm human." I said firmly.

"Weird, you don't seem like the other town folk. They run a mile when they hear about our wolves. You know about our wolves, but you're not running." She observed.

"I love your brother too much for that." I answered.

"Really? So you're not going this time?"

"I have to go back home for school." I explained.

"But you'll come back?" She said in hopeful tones.

"When I graduate." I promised.

"Couldn't you just come to the Res school or even Forks High? I know Essie goes there so it can't be all bad."

"But where would I live?" I asked.

"Here. You share Harry's room when you visit anyway."

"I…I don't think it would be appropriate all the time." I said, hoping like hell she wouldn't ask why.

"Then you could share my room. Sheila has her own bed, I know she wouldn't mind sharing with me if Harry was happy all the time."

"Thanks for the offer but I don't think Sheila's bed will be big enough for me." I said, remembering that Sheila was her baby doll.

"I suppose." Portia said with a shrug. "There's always the couch."

"I know you'd like me to stay and believe me I'd like nothing more than to stay here with Harry. And you of course. But I can't switch schools now, it's not long until I graduate."

"Don't that mean you're about to finish school?" Portia asked with a frown.

"Yes."

"So you're older than Harry." She stated.

"What do you mean?"

"If you're graduating don't that mean you're eighteen?" She asked, although it was too certain.

"Yes."

"Then you're older then Harry. He's seventeen." She said lightly.

"Harry is only seventeen?" I said with a gasp.

Portia nodded.

"Oh." I said, taken aback by the fact that he was so young.

Then again why didn't it click? He was still in school and Essie had said he was her best friend since they were small; obviously they'd be around the same age. I obviously had to tread with even more caution than I'd originally thought. What would Harry say if he found out my real age? He had a problem with the vampires, what would he make of me?

I lost control today, even if we hadn't actually had full sex we came close to it. We had each pleasured the other and as he lay drifting on his cloud I had let my lips get near him. I'd drawn on his life force without thinking, but then it didn't seem to affect him, not like the others. Of course I wouldn't have gone that far had I known he was only seventeen, there was just so many things against us at this point in time. Although I was curious about why I didn't suck his life away.

"Nikki? Is something wrong?" Portia asked, looking at me with concern.

"No. I just thought Harry was older."

"That's the wolf. Makes them look like grownups but they're still just big kids. But then they always look like grown ups, even when they're old people like my Daddy."

"They stop aging?" I'd heard of it but obviously I didn't really believe it, although Seth was a big clue.

Portia shrugged; after all she was only six, why should she know the ins and outs of the Quileute wolves other than the legends?

"I guess I have a few things I need to talk to Harry about." I said with a frown.

"Do you want to see my new trick?" Portia asked suddenly.

"Sure." I said, forcing a smile.

"Watch now." She said and she did a handstand.

"That's awesome." I said with a smile.

"Yep." She said with a wide grin that had two front teeth missing. "Tessa Hart can't do handstands yet and she's seven."

"Wow." I said.

Just then the door opened and Anne came in.

She looked a little shocked to see me.

"Nikki? I wasn't expecting to see you. Where is everyone?" She said.

"Harry was late for his duty and Seth decided to go and check on them."

"Oh. Have they been gone long?"

"About half an hour." I conceded.

"Harry called out in wolf and Daddy answered him." Portia explained.

"Really?" Anne asked, looking toward the forest with unease. "I hate this, the waiting. It was bad enough when it was just Seth, but now my son is out there too."

I patted Anne's shoulder in sympathy. I wasn't too good at showing emotions with people I didn't really know.

"You'll start to feel it too." Anne said sadly. "Knowing they're out there risking life and limb and there's nothing you can do about it. Not knowing until morning if they will return or if a Cold One managed to invade."

"But you'll know if something happens." I said, "You'll feel it. Nothing bad has happened tonight. Can't you tell? Harry's perfectly alright, although I wouldn't like to be him when Essie gets to him in the morning."

"Why? What did he do?"

"I don't know, I just know that he thinks Essie is p…mad at him." I caught myself in time.

"So Harry's ok?" Anne asked.

I nodded.

"What about Seth?"

"Only you can know that." I said, not sure where the knowledge was coming from only that it was true.

"How?"

"You can just feel it. It's part of being imprints." I said only remembering the Portia was still in the room after I said it.

"You can?" Anne asked a little uncertain, as if she didn't entirely believe me.

"Yes. It's a little part inside of you that let's you know how the other is. You must have felt it." I stated.

Anne was looking at me as if I was being particularly alien, but come on her husband and son could turn into fricking wolves, how was a bit of intuition such a wild concept? I refrained from making that particular comment.

"Tell me, right now what do you think Seth is feeling?"

Anne looked at me doubtfully.

"Try it." I encouraged her.

She sighed and closed her eyes, as if that made all the difference!

She looked unconvinced at first, but then her eyebrows lifted in shock.

"Oh! He's relieved and feeling humorous because of what happened. But I don't know what that is." She said in a surprised voice.

"But you know he's safe right?" I said cheerfully.

"I do." Anne agreed.

"Then you'll know all the time."

Anne smiled, "I guess I will."

It was at this point that the door opened and Seth came back. He seemed to be in a good mood and I knew that Anne had been right.

"What happened?" Anne asked as soon as he was through the door.

"The Denali's showed up but they didn't half give the young ones a scare." Seth said with a laugh.

"All of them?" I asked, feeling excited.

"As far as we could see through Jake." Seth said with a shrug.

"They're here to see the baby?" I asked.

"Yep. They are the Cullen's cousins after all." Seth pointed out.

"Yeah, I know." I said with a smile.

Seth smiled.

"Well I guess I should go say hi. Harry's away at the border so it's not exactly time I could be spending with him." I said dryly.

Seth and Anne gave me looks that reminded me they were his parents.

"Well I guess I should be going now. Don't want to waste time." I said and laughed nervously as I headed out of the door. "See you all tomorrow."

I got in my car and drove up to the Cullen house, I was polite enough to say hi to everyone but I went to bed as soon as I could. I wasn't in much of a talking mood tonight, I just wanted to sleep.

Over the next week and a half that we remained in Forks I had to put the breaks on my dalliances with Harry. It was hard going but we managed to keep a level of decency. Harry called me out about the age thing, after all I was playing eighteen while here, my excuse for returning with the Cullens had been that I had to get back for school. So I informed him that I was a senior and eighteen and no longer a miner and while he still was I'd rather we didn't go too far.

He made me promise I'd visit for summer vacation, but I really wasn't sure if I could. Or if it were a good idea.

By the time summer vacation arrived I had convinced myself it for the best that I stayed away from him.

We kept in contact by phone, I spoke to him every night but I had to make up excuses of why I couldn't go there quite yet. There were so many things that were keeping us apart right now, so distance helped stem temptation. I guess my biggest problem was what I am, how could I be in a relationship with Harry if he didn't know what I was? Ariana had told me not to tell anyone else what I was. There was also the age thing and then there's the possibility that I might just suck the life out of him if I'm not careful.

I just couldn't risk him with me.

I had just finished my evening conversation with Harry when Alice came in carrying her laptop.

"Got yours fired up?" She asked.

"No." I said.

"Then do it quickly, you need to add Tobias to your MSN. Stat."

"What? Why?" I asked, as I started up my laptop, it loaded quickly since I'd only put it to sleep before Harry rang.

"Because Essie wants to talk to you about Harry and she's using Tobias' account. I thought I'd check with you first before I promised you'd speak to her though."

"I guess I won't have a choice, Essie will get to me eventually." I said as I logged on to the relevant sites. "So what's Tobias address?" I asked as Alice typed on her own laptop.

Alice told me the address and I sent the request. Alice got a message before my request was confirmed.

I clicked on Tobias profile and sent an instant message:

Angel Wings says:

**Alice said you wanted to talk to me**

Essie was quick in responding with:

Tobias says:

**Yeah**

**I'm acting as Alpha for the well being of my pack**

**And also cause Harry is my friend and I hate to see him hurt**

Harry was hurt? Or hurting because I wasn't there? Either way I felt a pang of guilt that I wasn't there for him to help in either way. But that was too long to put into a message and I wanted to see what she had to say so I typed:

Angel Wings says:

**Ok**

Essie wasted no time in writing:

Tobias says:

**Why aren't you here girl?**

**It's Summer Vay-K you should be spending it with your imprint**

**Make the most of it before school starts back up**

**We all miss you**

**But not as much as Harry**

**So come to sunny La Push**

**Even if it's only for a week**

**Please!** ***Gets down on knees to beg***

Ok so that made me laugh. How could someone be so melodramatic over the Internet? So I let her know I'd found it funny, but as I began to defend myself I realised just how badly I was hurting so I was honest about that.

Angel Wigs says:

**lol**

**:D**

**I would really love to come to La Push. I'm hurting as much as Harry to be away from him. You don't know how much it hurts every day to think of the miles between us. All those miles! But there's no way I can visit right now.**

Tobias says:

**Why?**

Why did she have to ask?

I stared at the screen for a long while before I began writing:

**There are a lot of reasons why I can't be with Harry right now. The main reason is his own safety. You probably haven't noticed, because my people (whoever they are? :-s) like to keep it that way, but I'm not human. Well I'm half human but to my people that means nothing this is just a larval stage until I die in this life and then take my place among the True Immortals, wherever the hell they actually live. Hey, it could even be hell for all I know *shrug*. All I know is that I already have some of their powers, including the way they feed, which is to draw on a being's life energy during intercourse. I nearly killed a boy once and I don't want to do it to Harry. Then there's the fact that I'm actually 25 so at the moment he's too young for me, never mind the imprinting thing. Not to mention the fact that I can't tell anyone this and I don't know what the True Immortals will do to anyone else who finds out**

I stopped and looked at what I had just written; there was no way I could tell that to Essie. I highlighted the entire thing and wrote over it sending her:

Angel Wings says:

**It's complicated. Too complicated to go into here**

Instead, in the hope that she would back off. But Essie didn't just give in.

Tobias says:

**Then come to La Push and tell me in person!**

I growled slightly, wishing that she'd just drop the whole thing.

Angel Wings says:

**I can't**

Tobias says:

**Yes you can**

Angel Wings says:

**No. I mean I'm not allowed to tell you. I'm not allowed to tell anyone. Except maybe Harry and I'm afraid he'll reject me if I do.**

Tobias says:

**The guys a fricking werewolf**

**I'm sure whatever secret you have can't be any more freaky than that**

**Your Harry's imprint and he loves you so much**

**Whatever it is, even if you were a vampire now for some reason, he would still love you**

**So just get your ass over here and show him a good time**

Angel Wings says:

**You make it sound all so easy**

But maybe it was. I had to talk to Ariana.

I rose from the bed.

"I need to go talk to my Aunt. If Essie messages before I get back, stall her."

"Ok." Alice said and I left my room.

I headed out into the stand of trees that surrounded the house and found a nice quiet spot a little way in.

With a little reluctance I whispered, "Aunt Ariana I need you" into the night.

I felt the familiar tingle in the air and she materialised in front of me. This time she looked Indian and was wearing a sari of deep midnight blue with silver designs.

"The woods, this is traditional." She observed.

"I need to ask you something urgently and I know you don't like telling our secrets in front of the vampires."

"Ask me what?" She asked, looking toward me, but the she frowned. "Elharia, what have you done to yourself?" She gasped.

"What do you mean?" I asked, losing focus on my own questions.

"You have somehow tied yourself completely to this world." She said, circling me. "No. You have been chained here like a prisoner. What manner of wizard did this? Let me know and I will kill him for you and wear his entrails as a belt." She declared and suddenly she was every bit the image of some kind of ancient barbarian woman with braided hair and animal skin clothes.

"You don't need to do anything that drastic." I said with a chuckle. "Nobody is holding me prisoner here."

"Then why are you bound to this place? I can't take you from here now. There's something keeping you here."

"Well I don't know what you're talking about. What I called you for is that I have a question for you."

"Go on." She said, looking unconvinced.

"You said before that I wasn't to tell anyone about what I am but it was ok for the vampires to know because they rely on secrecy. Well would that apply to all beings who relied on secrecy for their safety?"

"Why?" Ariana asked, giving me a cautious look.

"Well you see I have a boyfriend, his name is Harry and he's…he's a werewolf. And since his…"

"A werewolf!" Ariana gasped breaking me off. "What in the name of Gragnor are you doing hanging around with one of those unstable flea bags?"

"He's not an unstable flea bag. He's good and kind and he's the loveliest shade of sandy brown when he's a wolf, but you should see him in his human form. HOT!"

"You are enamoured by him. That is not right. We bewitch mortals, not they us." She said as she inspected my eyes as if the answers lay there.

"But he's as taken with me as I am with him. It's something called imprinting. It's about finding their perfect mate in order to carry o their race of warriors."

"Hold on? Carry on their race? Are you sure you speak of werewolves?"

"Yes."

"Because all the werewolves I know are poor vicious creatures cursed by the bite of another to walk moonlit nights devouring anything that might happen to stumble in its path. They rarely live beyond a year after being bitten, so I think it highly unlikely they should long to mate."

"But the Quileutes are not like that." I said. "They can change between forms whenever they feel like and they're protectors to their tribe. Their ability to change is a gift not a curse and the ability is passed between the generations."

"They do not sound like werewolves to me." Ariana said with a frown.

"They're people who can turn into wolves. They sound like werewolves to me."

Ariana shrugged.

"Anyway, what I wanted to ask you was if it was ok for me to tell him? As you can see they rely on secrecy as much as the vampires, maybe even more so because they can be killed by mortal weapons." I pointed out.

"Why tell him?" Ariana asked.

"Because it would be wrong to keep what I am from him if we're to spend our lives together, that's why I had to finish things with Matt even though he was so nice." I pointed out.

"This is a human need. Ignore it." She said as if it was as simple as switching off a light.

"This is a Nikki need, I'm bound to this man until he dies and I don't want to lie to him." I said, hoping like hell it wouldn't give her ideas in how to free me from him.

"But it's not lying. If you don't tell him and he doesn't ask directly it's not lying."

"But it's dishonest." I said firmly.

"Fine. Tell him." Ariana snapped.

"Really?" I asked, feeling grateful to her.

"Yes. But if he tells anyone else then his life is forfeit, be sure he knows this." And I knew she wasn't joking or that it was no idle threat.

"Alright. I can do that. I can tell him and get him to keep it all secret." I said with a smile.

"Hope that you do or he will no longer be binding you to this dump of an existence."

"You really don't like Earth do you?" I said with a frown.

"Nikki, there are worlds out there you could not possibly conceive. One day I will show you them all, once you are done living this little life."

"And I look forward to seeing them, after I've lived my life as a human." I said courteously.

"Then we have an accord." Ariana said with a nod of her head.

"Yep."

Ariana managed a sincere smile.

"Then I look forward to our time together my niece." And she sounded genuine in her statement. "Now I should go."

"There is one more thing." I said, feeling a little awkward bringing this up.

"And that is?"

"Are some people immune to us draining them?"

"No. No mortal creature can do that, except maybe the vampires, but they are dead things and are no fun to feed from at all. Any creature that is alive will be drained by us." She said and it was clear there was no alternative.

"Then how didn't it seem to affect Harry?" I asked.

"What?"

"I know I drained energy from him, a lot of energy. But he didn't feel tired or anything."

"Interesting." Ariana observed, looking thoughtful. "I must learn more of these Quileutes." She stated and then she was gone.

"Aunt Ariana?" I ventured but there was no reply.

I waited looking into the darkness for what seemed like hours until she finally reappeared, this time as the vamp she'd been the first time I saw her.

"Very interesting." She said. "They are not at all the werewolves I know of. These are something different."

"So have you any clues?"

"They are strangely tied, a big tangled knot that would be hard to sever. They also have a lot of life force about them. Do you know if they heal quickly?" She muttered.

"I haven't actually seen them do it, but yeah they do."

"Then you should thank this universe that it saw fit to tie you to a never ending food source." She said, tapping me on the shoulder.

"You mean I won't drain him? Ever?" I asked, feeling hope flicker inside me.

"I would not go that far, I'm sure his life force like any other is finite, he just has more. They all do."

"Then I guess I'll still have to be careful but not as careful as I'd have to be if her was just plain old human." I said with a chuckle.

"Yes." Ariana agreed. "Now was there anything else you wanted?"

"No. That's it for now."

"Good. I have a Rach-Na to return to on Galdros seven, it is the most fun one can find in the whole of the multiverse." She said with a grin.

"Then go enjoy." I encouraged.

"Oh believe me, I will." She said with a wicked smile before disappearing again.

I sighed, but in contentment, I could finally reveal to my Harry what I was and if he rejected me then it was his loss. Not that I think he could reject me; I think the imprint thing means he has to love me no matter what. Which is kind of a scary notion but comforting at the same time.

I headed back into the house and up to my room where Alice was still sat on the bed with our laptops.

"Essie's getting impatient, she even asked me to talk sense into you. I made it look like I was. So have you decided what you're going to do with Harry?"

"Yes I have." I said, unable to hold back my smile.

I sat down and typed quickly:

Angel Wings says:

**After some consideration and a lot of nagging from Alice I think that I could fit in a trip to La Push. When would you like me to come?**

Essie's response came swiftly.

Tobias says:

**Thank you Nikki**

**You really are an angel**

**Harry's gonna be so happy**

Angel Wings says:

**I know. I can't wait to tell him :)**

I had to smile at the 'angel' comment.

Then Essie messaged me saying that I shouldn't tell Harry straight away or even that I was coming to La Push. She thought it would be a great idea to surprise him up at the lake. It would be a nice vacation for all of us 'kids' hanging out and just being normal. It sounded like a great idea to the romantic in me and so I agreed.

I would go to the Hannigans and on Monday we would go up to the lake. Essie would come up a little later with her pack and then reunion time as Essie put it.

I was looking forward to it and so excited on the Monday as I sat in the back of Tobias' old VW bus as he climbed the secret path to the lake.

As soon as we arrived we set up the camp while Marlin used her powers to get rid of the clouds above. Everything was ready when I suddenly became aware that Harry was near. I smiled at the Hannigans then jumped into my tent so Harry wouldn't see me when they pulled up.

I heard the Escalade pull to a stop and then the tent door was being flung back and Harry was smiling as he reached in to me and I threw myself into his arms as he helped me to my feet. His lips were on mine and I was kissing him back desperately despite the fact that I knew everyone was watching. I didn't care, it had been such a long time since I'd seen him I just had to hold him and kiss him again.

I had to bide my time to tell Harry everything about me, I knew I couldn't let the others know. So I mucked about with the rest of them and spent the day doing the things I never got a chance to in my invisible youth.

As darkness fell and we all began to settle I knew we could sneak off to talk. It didn't take much to convince Harry, although he clearly had different ideas of why we were sneaking off. The others probably thought the same but I didn't mind, at least they had a ready-made reason so they wouldn't have to speculate.

We found a nice little place to stop and I placed down the blanket I'd brought with us. Harry and I sat down and he kissed me but I pulled away and he looked a little hurt.

"There's something I need to tell you first." I said softly. "Something about me that I thought I wasn't allowed to tell but I couldn't be with you if I wasn't allowed to tell you. It wouldn't have been fair on you to have me lying to you all our lives together."

"Lying?" He asked.

"About what I am." I replied.

Harry looked confused.

"I'm not human. At least not full human. I'm a True Immortal, or at least I will be when I leave behind my first life."

"What?"

"My people are like these spirit forms or something that live outside of reality, but they can build bodies in different worlds so that they can interact with the sentient beings there…"

I went on to explain everything to Harry, my whole story and he listened without interrupting me, although he did take my hand and stroked it comfortingly when I told him about my parents. He looked a little doubtful over the whole feeding process, but there must have been something definite in the way I spoke that he changed his mind quickly.

"And now that you know everything I'm worried you'll reject me." I said with a sigh.

"So you had a few secrets to hide? You told me now and I'm glad you did, although I wished you'd told me sooner. At least the part about you being 25."

"Yeah, I should have told you that sooner." I agreed.

"Although I don't care about the age gap anyway, I look the same age as you so that's no problem. I love you Nikki and nothing's gonna change that. Don't ever be afraid to tell me something, I want to know everything I can about you." He said and stroked my cheek.

I sighed and closed my eyes as I felt the heat of his hand.

"I'll never keep anything from you again." I said softly.

"Good." He said and pulled me against his chest. "Now let's just enjoy the evening."

And we did…

**The End**

**

* * *

So that's the end. Those of you who came here from Uncertainty I'd like to let you know that an Epilogue to Uncertainty and the Prologue to the sequel 'In Darkness' will be up over the next few days**

**Thank you for reading**

**Please review**

**Gemma x**


End file.
